Firefighter risks his life to save woman trapped in burning SUV

1 hour ago

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News Staff,

DETROIT (WXYZ) – A Detroit firefighter is being hailed as a hero after risking his life to pull a woman from a burning SUV in a dramatic rescue that was caught on camera.

Body-worn camera footage shows Detroit firefighter Donald Faulkner rescuing 52-year-old Latashia Collins from a burning SUV in January.(Source: Detroit Fire Dept., WXYZ via CNN)

Stunning body-worn camera footage shows Detroit firefighter Donald Faulkner rescuing 52-year-old Latashia Collins from a burning SUV on Jan. 7.

“I heard her screaming just to help. You know, I’m from here. I look at all these citizens like family members, so I look at it like my own mom’s in there,” Faulkner said.

Collins was a passenger in the SUV, which caught fire after a crash involving a truck. When Faulkner arrived, she was trapped inside with the door locked.

“Tried to pull the door. That’s when I checked all of them. After that, I just found the best route to try to get her out with the least injuries possible,” Faulkner said.

Collins suffered multiple fractures, third-degree burns, and internal bleeding – injuries that required several surgeries. Her road to recovery is far from over, but her family is grateful she’s alive.

“She really, truly has made a tremendous recovery, given everything that she’s gone through, the amount of time that she’s had to be in the intensive care unit because of her injuries. She has worked so hard, and she really, truly is a miracle,” said Dr. David Springstead, a surgeon at DMC Detroit Receiving Burn Center.

Collins’ family credits surgeons and medical staff at the burn center – and Faulkner – with saving her life.

Firefighter Donald Faulkner recently visited 52-year-old Latashia Collins, the woman he pulled from a burning SUV, as she recovers in the hospital.(Source: WXYZ via CNN)

“Thank you to the Detroit firefighters. I’m really thankful and grateful for them, and I feel like they deserve more recognition than what they get… The firefighters are really the real heroes,” said Tanisha Morgan, Collins’ daughter.

Faulker, who recently visited Collins in the hospital, was honored Friday for his heroism. Despite the recognition, he remains humble about his actions.

“I’m just doing my job,” he said. “I’m just glad she’s doing better. Keep praying for her. I hope she keeps healing up and just love to her family,” he said.

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