SALISBURY, N.C. — Body cam video proves Lt. Corey Brooks' heroism in saving the life of a truck driver who crashed on I-85 in North Carolina.
"I don't see myself as a hero," Lt. Brooks said. "I just see myself trying to do the godly thing, to make sure that, that driver saw his family or whoever again."
Already working after hours and on his way to another call, Brooks witnessed the truck crash into a median at the Jake Alexander underpass just before 9 p.m. on Aug. 8.
"The fuel was leaking down the road, the interstate, and the fire from under the truck was following the fuel," Lt. Brooks said.
Brooks found the driver unconscious inside, and realized he needed to act quickly.
"And then I kinda got him out of his seat, but he went in between the passengers seat and the drivers seat, so I had to lift him up, put him on the passengers' seat," Lt. Brooks said.
In the video you can hear Brooks summoning all his strength to get the driver out.
"While I'm pulling him out I'm thinking like this, if it blows up, will I go fast, or will I die of slow burns, or whatever, it was just playing in my head," Lt. Brooks said. "Like ok, let me hurry and get him out of here real fast."
Once he got the driver out, he faced his next challenge: getting the unconscious man across two lanes of busy I-85 traffic.
That's when another truck driver showed up.
"The lady driver, I don't know who she is.," Lt. Brooks said. "But she was like my partner, she did so well helping me, she was directing traffic, she kept checking on the driver, making sure he was ok."
Soon after, there was a loud explosion as the truck is fully-engulfed.
"In the video, it doesn't, the sound doesn't do the justice, but it was tremendously loud," Lt. Brooks said. "Something I've never witnessed before in my 25 year career."
Soon fire and Emergency medical services arrived and took the injured truck driver to the hospital.
Two weeks ago Lt. Brooks reunited with the driver at his home where he's still recovering.
Lt. Brooks said the two are connected forever.
