A truck driver on his morning commute in Virginia stepped up under pressure on Saturday morning, rescuing a driver from a burning car, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Meredith Conyers Sr., 51, was driving on Interstate 64 in Henrico County at approximately 4:15 a.m. when he encountered the vehicle.
After noticing that the car was smoking heavily and that there appeared to be no one standing nearby, Conyers decided to pull up himself, where he noticed that a driver was trapped inside, and called for help. After helping the man free his foot, which was caught and preventing him from leaving the car, Conyers pulled the passenger through the window and away from the area just before the vehicle burst into flames, according to the statement released by Henrico County Division of Fire on its Facebook page.
"It was just intuition," Conyers told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "Something just told me to stop and check."
Fire officials who arrived on the scene shortly afterward reported that the driver had come off the road and hit a signpost. Despite Conyers' intervention, the driver sustained significant injuries as a result of the crash and was taken for treatment to VCU Medical Center, according to NBC12.
Conyers was passing the area only by chance, as his shift normally starts at 1 a.m., but he just happened to be working later this Saturday, he told reporters. Family members have praised his actions, calling him a hero.
"I'm no hero, I'm just a person who was at the right place at the right time," Conyers told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, adding that he wishes the best for the driver, who remains unidentified.
After embarking on his rescue mission and speaking to authorities about the incident, firefighters reported that Conyers went about his day and returned to his morning commute.
