A Florida firefighter suffered horrific burns when he rescued his girlfriend from their Uber after it collided with a crashed tanker while en route to a dream vacation.
Bryan Aparicio, 27, yelled, “I can’t let her die” as he heroically pulled 26-year-old Su Hninyi out of the burning wreckage, risking his life.
Aparacio, a firefighter with Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue, and his girlfriend were traveling for a cruise vacation Tuesday afternoon.
The couple was driving an Uber on Interstate 95 in Delray Beach when a tanker crashed in front of them while trying to dodge another car in its path.
The Uber then crashed into a barrier as the driver tried to dodge the burning tanker, causing the car to burst into flames.
Bryan Aparicio, 27, and his girlfriend, Su Hninyi, 26, were involved in the smash on Tuesday
Aparicio screamed ‘I can’t let her die’ as he heroically pulled his girlfriend out of the wreckage
Aparicio miraculously escaped from the back seat by smashing a window with his shoulder and head and climbing out.
But he realized his girlfriend was still trapped inside, so he sprinted back to the fireball to pull Hninyi out and save her life.
He suffered “significant burns” to his face, arms and legs. Hninyi suffered second and third degree burns.
Both are currently in hospital with serious injuries.
Jason Smith, president of the Broward County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association, said: “It was a moment that passed so quickly, he recognized they were trapped and saw his girlfriend couldn’t get out either, and he did everything he could. . could.
The couple’s Uber crashed as it swerved to dodge a tanker that capsized and caught fire
Aparicio is a Florida firefighter and friends said his training began as the crash unfolded
Aparicio escaped from the car by smashing his head in a window and returned for his girlfriend
75 firefighters rushed to the crash as the overturned tanker set fires across the highway
“His actions show that he would without a doubt risk his life to make sure hers didn’t end.
“His heartbeat is his girlfriend sitting next to him, and when he regained consciousness, he clearly sprang into action, which he trains for, and that’s what he responds to every day to all the residents and visitors of Broward County.
“I keep thinking about it this way: he was willing to lose his life and stay there to make sure she got out, so it was almost like a Romeo and Juliet. He didn’t leave without her.’
A total of 75 firefighters in 35 trucks responded to the crash, with the tanker’s spill causing multiple fires that even spread through a storm drain under the highway.
A total of five people were injured, three of whom are in critical condition.
Friends said Aparicio’s bravery ‘clearly encourages what we are as firefighters and paramedics’
Five people were injured, including three seriously injured, in the crash on Interstate 95
Authorities have at this time said that the car that initially slashed over the tanker is responsible for the collision.
Aparicio recovered last night at Delray Medical Center and could be transferred to the burns unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where his girlfriend is in intensive care.
Witness Brian Bernstein said the crash site “looked like a war zone” and added: “It looked like a plane had crashed or something that had come down from the sky and just crashed on the highway.”
Eric Solera, a firefighter and friend of Aparicio, said: ‘He looked outside and the next thing he saw was a wall of fire around the vehicle.
“Right now you have fire all around the car, you have black smoke around him and visibility is zero… He lost contact with his girlfriend and he said, these are his words: “I can’t let her die” . ‘
“He’s a very humble person,” Solera told the… Sun Sentinel.
The fire sent plumes of smoke across the highway, injuring five people in the disaster
Authorities believe the car that drove right through the tanker was the cause of the collision
Tire tracks were seen across the highway after cars swerved to avoid the overturned tanker
“He doesn’t seek recognition or anything, and what he did was out of sheer love for his girlfriend and because he was an exceptional person and a true hero.”
Smith added: “I think all the characteristics of his family that raised him and the career path he chose clearly encourages what we are as firefighters and paramedics.
“He showed our commitment to others, so selflessly, and we are proud of him.”
A GoFundMe Page started by Aparicio’s colleagues has already raised nearly $35,000 to help with the couple’s medical bills and recovery.
Solera, who co-launched the page with Brendan Quilter, said: “For those of you who know Bryan, know that he is a kind and exceptional human being.
His quick actions and exploits saved his girlfriend’s life. We believe it is our turn to stand up and show him that the community he serves is by his side and ready to help during these unforeseen circumstances.”