A Brentwood man is being called a hero after he saved a 3-year-old girl from a burning car in Contra Costa County.
The incident was caught on camera.
40-year-old year Troy White described the rescue mode that kicked in, when he realized a little girl was trapped inside a burning car that had just crashed on Highway 4 Tuesday evening.
White was driving his own young daughter home from soccer practice when they saw crash scene and pulled over.
“Instincts absolutely, adrenaline kicked in. I was all go. It was go mode. Like I said, I’m a marine, and we are trained to react without thought,” he said. “I ran over there as fast as I could. When I got there, the mother was climbing vehicle through the top.”
White looked inside the car and saw 3-year-old Paisley, who was stuck in her car seat.
“She was dangling and her foot was touching the ground through the broken window hole. She was saying, 'Help me! Help me! Help me!' three times and then, she said, 'I don’t like this,'” White added.
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As Paisley's mother screamed for White to get her out, he struggled with the car seat straps, knowing the car could explode at any time.
“A third of the undercarriage of the vehicle was in flames. And it crossed my mind that it was dangerous, but it has to be done,” White said.
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Thankfully, White was able to release the girl and lift her out to safety.
Just a few minutes later, the car exploded.
Paisley's mother texted NBC Bay Area’s Jodi Hernandez from the hospital Thursday, where they were still undergoing tests.
“Paisley’s father and I owe everything to Troy as he saved the most important thing to us. Because of him, my daughter gets to celebrate her 4th birthday,” the mother said.
White said he’s grateful he was there to help. The former marine is also a recovering addict, who has been working and praying hard to lead a better life.
“I’m just honored to be able to do it and thankful I was there,” he said. “I’m six months clean and sober today. And life is so good today and I’m so blessed.”
Paisley’s mother told NBC Bay Area that White is now part of their family and called him a “true superhero.”
