Camera captures 2 strangers saving man trapped in overturned, burning 18-wheeler on Mykawa Road

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A man stuck in his burning 18-wheeler was rescued by two complete strangers on Tuesday.

According to Houston police, the incident happened at 12200 Mykawa Road.

ABC13 obtained an exclusive video showing the tense moment witnesses jumped into action.

“Is there a guy in there?” one person yelled.

Dalinex Vargas and her three girls were watching from the car and quickly realized someone was burning in the flames.

“Oh my god, mom!” one of her daughters screamed.

Vargas said she had no idea what was even on fire when she first approached.

“When I saw that it was too far, I got back in the car to move forward, and that is when they took him out of the fire,” Vargas said.

Two men can be seen in the video emerging from the billowing black smoke with the victim’s limp body.

One was using his shirt to put out the fire that was burning the lower half of the man’s body.

Meanwhile, Vargas started pulling up the car, looking for a way to help that wouldn’t put her kids at risk.

“The girls started looking for something like water in the car, and we gave them water so they could put the fire out on his clothes,” Vargas said.

Vargas was also concerned about a possible language barrier and offered to translate.

“When I approached, I asked if he speaks Spanish to see if I had to get down and just help him, and tell him in Spanish that everything would be OK,” Vargas said.

Houston police said the man’s 18-wheeler rolled over and caught fire. However, they were unable to determine who was at fault or provide details about the damaged cars at the scene.

“There was a pickup truck, (and) there was a blue car that one was very messed up,” Vargas said.

Even after Vargas left the scene, she considered going back but saw that the police had already arrived.

She said she and her daughters went home pray for the victim and the strangers who risked their lives to save him.

“You don’t know if the truck is going to explode or what you know, but they still got into it and helped, so (there’s) hope that there are still good people,” Vargas said.

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