Man who helped save driver from burning car on Ontario highway said rescue happened in 'the nick of time'
One of the five men who heroically jumped in to save a man from a burning vehicle on an Ontario highway said the rescue happened "literally the nick of time" before the car exploded in flames.
Ben Sykes told CTV News Toronto that he and his wife were driving on the Queen Elizabeth Highway (QEW) in Mississauga on Monday when they saw a moving vehicle on fire that eventually crashed into a ditch near the Cawthra off-ramp.
"I saw somebody with a car jack in their hand, heading towards the vehicle quickly and then started to hit the window. And so I guess at that minute, I sort of felt like 'Well, I got to help here.' And so I jumped out of the car and, you know, just did what I could to try and help at the moment," he said Thursday afternoon.
A video of the incident, tweeted by the OPP Wednesday evening, shows smoke billowing from the stopped vehicle as five men attempted to rescue the driver.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The OPP says the driver, a 36-year-old man from Toronto, experienced a medical episode during the incident.
The five men then jumped into action to help free the unconscious man from the rapidly burning vehicle.
Sykes, who was wearing a white shirt in the video, is seen kicking and elbowing the car window to try and free the man.
Ben Sykes is seen in the white shirt. (Supplied)
"Thankfully there was a guy in a dump truck, whoever that was, he threw a hammer out the window and I realized, okay, we gotta grab this thing," Sykes said.
"And so I grabbed the hammer and smashed that window and we were able to get it open and just thankful that the timing worked out the way it did, it was literally the nick of time."
The men then pulled the driver out of the vehicle to safety.
Sykes says the rescue happened in a span of about 30 seconds, before the vehicle burst into flames.
The OPP says the driver sustained no injuries and is alive today because of the men's "heroic efforts."
Ben Sykes, left, and Fabricio Lauar Banon, right, were both involved in the rescue on Monday. (CTV News Toronto)
Sykes says he spoke to the driver yesterday.
“He obviously is thankful. I'm sure it's all setting in for him. It's emotional. It's been an emotional roller coaster for me this week. I'm sure it's been the same thing for him. So, thankfully he's in good shape, and we all walked away,” he said.
Sykes added that he went into "fight or flight" mode and just wanted to help a person in need.
"I think there’s a lot of people out there that would do the same thing if they got into that situation. And all we can do is try and help other people and the world’s a good place despite all the stuff that’s going on right now."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.