News & Views

With life being the hectic rat race it can often be, it's rare that people stop to help one another out in a potentially perilous situation. But that's exactly what happened yesterday in southern Mississippi when passing motorists saw smoke billowing from a stand of pine trees along the interstate. Fifteen to 20! motorists -- one of them who is a photographer for The Associated Press -- took note of the situation and ended up rescuing two women trapped inside a wrecked, burning SUV.

And helping the sisters, identified as Giovanna and Felicidad Demonte, definitely wasn't a walk in the park. Gerald Herbert, the AP photog who was involved, said, "We were all sure [Giovanna] was going to perish." So scary!

Herbert explained:

No one had fire extinguishers. ... The sounds of her screams and the sight of the fire inching closer to her, that was the most horrible and helpless feeling I've ever felt in my life.

Wow. So, so terrible. Thankfully, passing truckers stopped to provide rescuers with extinguishers, and through a group effort, they were able to control the fire and work to free Giovanna. She was airlifted in a stable condition to Gulfport Memorial Hospital, but had "serious head trauma." Her sister suffered minor injuries.

Reportedly, the '02 Chevrolet Trailblazer the Demontes were riding in crashed into a tree and began burning when Giovanna went off the road, overcorrected, and crossed the meridian.

My sister actually did something similar flipped/totalled her Jeep about 10 years ago -- thaaaank goodness there was no fire! -- and I'm not sure if strangers came to her rescue ... And sadly, it's not every day that drivers (in New Jersey especially!) curb their own busy life to help another driver in need. 

But reading how brave and empowered these motorists were to stop, lend a hand, and ultimately save these women's lives should restore our faith in humanity ... and inspire us to be just as proactive as these rescuers were.

Here's the AP's raw footage from the terrible wreck:

Have you ever pulled over to help another driver in need?

Image via AP/YouTube