1 hour ago
2
A hair-raising video captured an Air Force sergeant leading the rescue of a couple whose SUV spun out and dangled off a highway in a terrifying Christmas Day crash, according to reports.
US Air Force Staff Sgt. Ruben Tala was traveling with his wife, Yvett, and their 22-month-old daughter along US Route 50 in Northern California shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday, when he witnessed an SUV spin out of control, according to KCRA.
Tala, who is stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, recalled thinking of his family and his adrenaline immediately kicking in the moment he saw the harrowing crash.
“During that time, I mean, I think it’s the adrenaline kicking in,” Tala told the outlet.
“I thought about my wife and my daughter. What if there’s a family in that car? Somebody has to help,” he said.
Dramatic dashcam and bystander footage obtained by the outlet then captured Tala leaping into action as the car precariously teetered hundreds of feet above a snowy embankment.
Tala gripped the driver’s side door of the SUV as other good Samaritans rushed in to help and form a human chain to pull out the driver, his wife, and their two dogs to safety, the clip showed.
“I yelled, ‘Do you have any rope? I need some rope,” he recalled yelling to other drivers who stopped to help.
“One guy ran back to his truck and gave me a rope. The other three guys, they were holding my hands, trying to keep the car from moving.”
Highway 50 is known for its treacherous, slippery conditions, especially in the winter, the outlet reported.
Tala recalled the shaken drivers being thankful for the life-saving rescue.
“I’m just doing my part to help somebody else,” Tala said.
“That’s how we’re trained in the Air Force. We help somebody when they need help, no matter the situation.”
English (US)