5-year-old saves toddler brother from fiery Texas crash that killed father
HOUSTON -- A 5-year-old boy pulled his severely burned 2-year-old brother to safety after a big rig rollover wreck that killed their father in the Houston, Texas, area early Friday, police said.
The horrifying accident happened at about 1:15 a.m. on the North Freeway. Houston police say the tractor trailer struck a metal guardrail and a concrete pillar before rolling over and catching fire.
The driver appeared to have been ejected and died at the scene.
His two young sons were passengers in the truck. The 5-year-old boy pulled his brother away from the wreck, which burst into flames.
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Both children were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital. The older boy had minor injuries while the 2-year-old suffered severe burns.
The children's mother was said to be completely unaware of what happened because she was traveling in an RV far ahead of the big rig. Deputies were working to reunite the woman with her children.
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Harris County sheriff's deputies said the family was on their way to Galveston, where they were moving to a new home.
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Dhaval Shah was one of the first eyewitnesses on the scene and said he heard a loud boom.
When he came outside, he said he saw a little kid running around and a big fire covering the truck. The boy told Shah his father had crashed into the guardrail and the truck flipped over.
The cause of the crash was unknown and remained under investigation.
