‘You saved my life:’ Bystanders rescue driver from car fire on Florida interstate

By Matt Papaycik

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    DELRAY BEACH, Florida (WPTV) — Several brave bystanders rescued a man after his car erupted in flames Saturday night on Interstate 95 in Delray Beach.

Delray Beach Fire Rescue said four vehicles were involved in a crash in the northbound lanes of I-95, north of Atlantic Avenue, at about 8:30 p.m.

One of the vehicles caught fire and several bystanders pulled the driver out, Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in the post.

Travis Smith, 21, of Port St. Lucie, was rescued from his burning vehicle and was taken to a local hospital as a trauma alert.

WPTV’s Stephanie Susskind spoke to Smith and his mother, who were hoping to find the heroes who saved the young man’s life. Thanks to posts on WPTV’s Facebook and Instagram pages, they were able to find a couple of the rescuers.

“I don’t remember anything before I hopped in the ambulance,” Smith said. “I don’t really remember impact or anything.”

Smith suffered burns to his face and fractured his hip, undergoing surgery on Monday.

Travis Smith, 21, and his mother, Samantha Wallace, speak to WPTV from Smith’s hospital room after he was rescued from his burning car on Interstate 95 in Delray Beach. “We’re so grateful for strangers who pretty much risked their lives to jump into a car that was on fire,” Smith’s mother, Samantha Wallace, said. “If it weren’t for the people that jumped in, this might be a different kind of news story.”

“You saved my life,” Smith said.

Smith and Wallace said they are planning to meet the rescuers once Smith gets out of the hospital.

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