Off-duty firefighter rescues driver from fiery car crash in Brooklyn

BROOKLYN - An off-duty firefighter is being lauded after rescuing a man trapped inside a burning car following a crash in Brooklyn last weekend.

"Being in the right place at the right time always has something to do with it," said FDNY Lieutenant Richard Cannon, who jumped into action when he saw the crash.

Cannon was in his car, driving home with his family at around 3 a.m. early Saturday when they saw two cars drive past them on the Belt Parkway.

The cars, a BMW and a Corvette, ending up crashing into one another, leaving the Corvette in flames.

"I tried to get the person out of the vehicle. The door was pinned so we couldn’t get him out," said Cannon.

Cannon and another EMT worked to rescue the driver, pulling him over the middle console and getting him out via the passenger-side door. 

"When I was trying to get him out, we felt the heat of the fire. The guy next to me the EMT was trying to get him out," Cannon explained.

They eventually got the driver to the hospital where his condition remains unknown.

There are still some unanswered questions following the crash, including what caused the crash.

"There’s a big trend going on social media right now. People like to do dumb things on the highway I think it needs to be put to a stop," said a witness involved in the crash.

Meanwhile Cannon and his wife used the crash as a life-long lesson for their kids.

"It was a teachable moment, not to drive like an idiot on the parkway. I know on the parkway there wasn't a lot of cars out but still something could easily be us or another family in the car," he added.