Two Florida brothers heroically helped several people caught in a deadly fiery crash on Thursday, telling local media they hoped someone would help them if they were in the same situation.
The accident involving four vehicles happened on the Escambia Bay Bridge around 2:15 p.m., leaving one person dead and three with minor injuries, WEARTV reported. report.
Christian Shotz told the outlet that the scene was “probably the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
He and his brother, Dillon Essington, were driving to visit a sick family member when a crash and subsequent fire occurred in front of them.
“The truck in front of us pulled to the side and then the visibility cleared and we could see everything,” Shotz recalled. “All we saw was a car on fire, an overturned truck and a destroyed white Mercedes.”
“We got out of the car, ran straight to the truck and started trying to rescue people and then the other guy who was in the Mercedes,” he added.
A 55-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl in the pickup truck were taken to hospital with minor injuries, while a 26-year-old man in the Mercedes was also injured.
“I was able to break the windshield. [of the truck] “My mission was to get this girl out,” Essington told the local station. “In a traumatic event like this, you get the adrenaline going, you get the fear, so it was also important for me to just be there and say, ‘Let’s show these people love and keep them calm.'”
The ABC News affiliate reported that this all happened “with many people watching from the sidelines.”
The Florida Highway Patrol has not yet identified the deceased victim or released a cause for the accident.
NEW DETAILS: The Federal Highway Patrol has not yet identified the fatality in this afternoon’s fiery crash on the Escambia Bay Bridge, but says three others hospitalized suffered minor injuries: a 55-year-old man, a 15-year-old girl and a 26-year-old man.
read more: https://t.co/m7T3kDwL1G pic.twitter.com/3AVqKcDFHf
— WEAR ABC 3 (@weartv) June 14, 2024
Police Lt. Jason King noted that speeding has been an issue recently on the interstate.
“When people get onto a bridge, especially on an interstate, they’re tempted to quickly accelerate and pick up a little bit of speed to get to the other end,” King told the outlet.
The two brothers hope their actions will inspire others to help those in need.
“You have to give yourself pep talks and think, ‘If this were me, I hope someone would help me,'” Shotz said. “Life can end in an instant and that’s exactly what happened to us. It was literally one car ride away from ending everything.”
“If you can help, please help,” Essington added.
