A California man risked his life to pull a driver from a burning car moments after it flipped onto a sidewalk.
Santiago Portillo started recording with his phone when he noticed a car up in flames Wednesday in Riverside, Calif. In the video, you can see Portillo put down his phone, run to the car and drag the unconscious man out from the window.
“I had to save him. I saw the big explosion, the fire. I was not going to see a human get burned,” Portillo told NBC.
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Bill Butler who works at a nearby store where the accident happened then grabbed a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.
Police say the driver of the car was likely street racing when he lost control and flipped.
The driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators haven’t identified the driver, but an emotional Portillo says he’s been thanked by the family.
“He’s alive, we’re happy he’s alive. I know he may not be alive if I wasn’t there,” Portillo said.
Portillo’s young daughters are calling their father a hero.
“I’m not a hero, I’m just a human being,” Portillo said. “I’ll do it all over again for anybody.”
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