The Lakeland Fire Department’s Assistant Fire Chief was honored earlier this month for saving a man from a burning vehicle on Interstate 75 in Marion County.
On January 16, 2024, Assistant Fire Chief Michael Williams was presented with the City of Lakeland Heroism Award during the city’s commission meeting.
In a social media post, the Lakeland Fire Department stated that on December 28, 2023, Williams and his wife, Carol, were traveling southbound on I-75, returning home from a vacation. While on the interstate, near Ocala, they witnessed several cars suddenly stop in the roadway directly in front of them at around 5 p.m.
As Williams slowly moved forward, he saw an SUV in the tree-lined median of the interstate. The vehicle had been involved in a high-speed accident, landing in the woods after the collision.
The SUV’s fuel tank appeared to have been ruptured, and the vehicle was visibly on fire. Several bystanders were standing on the shoulder of the road, but no one was approaching the burning vehicle.
Williams was informed by a bystander that someone was trapped inside the SUV. After parking his truck and trailer on the interstate, Williams retrieved a claw hammer from his toolbox and approached the vehicle. At this point, the fire had progressed and was covering all sides of the vehicle.
Williams looked through the passenger front window and saw that a man was unresponsive in the driver’s seat. He was the sole occupant of the SUV.
After heading through the woods to the driver’s side of the SUV, Williams broke the window and attempted to rouse the driver, but he remained unconscious. Williams then grabbed the driver and attempted to pull him through the window, but a seatbelt around the man’s waist pulled him back into the vehicle.
The fire continued to grow as Williams reached through the window and into the SUV, unlocking the driver’s side door. He then grabbed the driver by the torso, and he managed to pull the driver through the seatbelt and out of the vehicle.
One of the bystanders, an off-duty trauma nurse, assisted with dragging the driver a safe distance from the fire. At this point, no first responders had arrived on scene.
An assessment of the driver revealed that he had sustained second-degree and third-degree burns to his lower extremities and posterior. Williams and the off-duty nurse cared for the man until Marion County Fire Department personnel arrived on scene.
Williams soon learned that he had sustained minor burns to his hands, face, and scalp. He was evaluated by paramedics and declined any further medical treatment.
The SUV’s driver regained consciousness while being treated and was transported to a hospital for treatment of his injuries.
“If not for the selfless and courageous actions of Chief Williams, the victim likely would have perished in the fire,” stated the Lakeland Fire Department in the social media post.
“Chief Riley acknowledges and commends Mike for his courageous actions while off-duty to save a life and exemplify the First Responder mindset of Service before Self,” added the fire department. “This is a true testament to what our Nation’s First Responders do daily to protect the citizens we are called to serve.”