SAN ANTONIO – A man who pulled a woman to safety from a burning car early Friday near Stone Oak is now being called a hero by some.
Scot Love, who visits San Antonio twice a year from North Carolina to manage a fireworks stand, said prayer gave him the strength to rescue the 22-year-old woman, whose name he later learned is Mishelle.
Love said he'd just laid down in his recreational vehicle after 1 a.m. Friday when noises coming from outside made him jump out of bed.
"I heard that all too familiar sound of like a pop, crash and a vehicle getting crunched," Love said.
He said when he saw a car on fire off Highway 281 and Summerglen Way he rushed to out to help another woman trying to get the driver out.
"The front of the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames and the fuel had sprayed across so that you couldn't get to the driver's side door," Love described. "Every time she opened the door you could hear the girl inside screaming."
It took Love some time to find the driver. Once he did, he made a split-second decision.
"She's screaming, 'You can't leave me. I'm burning, I'm burning.' In that moment my exact words were, and it just came out of my mouth and I didn't think about it, I said, 'In Jesus' name' and I said it a second time, I said, 'In Jesus' name' and the moment I said it a second time she said, 'My legs are free' and I reached in and I grabbed her under the arms and she came out like butter," he said.
Love snapped pictures of the scene shortly afterward. He said he's spoken with the father of the woman injured in the crash and learned she is expected to recover.
Love is now preparing to go back to work for nonprofit organization Glasses for Missions in North Carolina. He also said he is looking forward to meeting her family the next time he comes into town to sell fireworks for the Fourth of July.