Pa. Turnpike worker hailed a hero after rescuing driver from burning car
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A longtime employee of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is being hailed a hero for helping save a driver from a burning car after a violent crash that happened last month.
It was early in the morning around 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 8 when a car violently slammed into a barrier at the Monroeville interchange.
Thankfully, Eric Bruno, a 32-year veteran of the Turnpike as a fare collector, showed up to work early that day and helped pull the driver from the burning car after the violent crash.
Bruno says he started his shift at 6 a.m., but that he's always early for work and got there around 5:15 a.m.
He was sweeping up salt outside the building when he heard the crash.
"I was praying that he would get out of the car," Bruno said.
When he realized the person wasn't able to get out, Bruno ran over and started helping.
"Well, that was the first thing that crossed my mind, that I really didn't want to go up to the burning car because I was thinking about my wife and son. But I had to because the guy wasn't getting out of it," he said.
When the driver started to collapse just a few steps away from the car, Bruno says he told him they needed to get away from the car before it exploded and got some help from another Good Samaritan.
"Nothing really hit me until I was talking to a trooper who responded on scene, and he said to me 'Thank you… you saved this man's life," Bruno said. "And it never hit me until he said it that this guy would have probably burned up if it wasn't for me and that customer helping him out of the car."
Bruno says he watched the surveillance video of the crash and it shook him up a little, but he's thankful both drivers in the crash were able to safely get out of harm's way.
Way to go, Eric!