When a Gallatin man found a burning vehicle on the side of the road, his first instinct was to pull over, but when he saw an unconscious man trapped inside, he knew he had to help.
"I could tell there was no one else around except one lady who was calling the police," said Brad Holcomb, who happened upon the wreck on Vietnam Veterans Boulevard around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. "I was basically the second person to arrive on the accident scene."
Holcomb said he yelled at the man until he woke up, but discovered the stranger was trapped by his seatbelt.
Luckily, a second Good Samaritan had stopped and had a knife in his vehicle.
"I grabbed him underneath his arms and we're pulling him out," Holcomb said. "The whole front seat becomes engulfed in flames."
Holcomb said they were able to rescue the man just in time. First responders arrived and took the man to the hospital.
But Holcomb said he wasn't able to sleep without knowing what had happened to the man he saved. Luckily, his wife was able to find the victim's family online via Hip Hendersonville and they have planned to continue helping him through his recovery.
"His sister said he lost a lot of mechanics tools and clothes in the accident, so we're putting together a donation for him to help replace the stuff he lost in the fire," Holcomb said.
Holcomb will meet the man he rescued within the next few days.
