A United States Military Academy cadet has been praised for his heroic actions after rescuing a man from a burning car on a New York highway. Larry Pickett Jr, a 20-year-old football player for the Army Black Knights, and his father Larry Pickett Sr pulled the driver from the wrecked vehicle moments before it burst into flames.
The incident occurred early on Sunday near Fort Montgomery, New York, about four miles from the West Point campus. Pickett Jr had just played his first football game of the season, which ended in an overtime loss. He and his family were returning from dinner in Times Square when they came across the crash.
Video recorded by Pickett Jr's sister Lauren shows the pair removing the driver from the car and carrying him across a four-lane highway. The vehicle, a white sedan, had struck a utility pole and was surrounded by sparking wires. Within seconds, the car became engulfed in flames.
Pickett Jr told The Athletic that he and his father acted quickly because they knew the car would ignite. 'We couldn't just watch and let that happen,' he said. 'He still had his seatbelt on. What if we got there just a minute later?' His father noted that his son's military training had kicked in.
Army officials have lauded Pickett Jr's bravery. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll said in a social media post that the cadet 'embodies the highest values of the army and West Point: duty, honour, country.' Athletic director Tom Theodorakis added that the rescue 'exemplifies the values we hold dear, stepping up in a moment of crisis to save a life.'
