A Florida man is being hailed a hero after helping lift an SUV off of a police officer who was pinned underneath.
The harrowing ordeal unfolded last Thursday when Kenny Franklin, 26, was in an Uber and his driver suddenly suffered a seizure while behind the wheel, WTVT-TV reported.
Franklin’s account of what unfolded during the ordeal is pretty intense, as he said that the SUV was weaving all over the road and was going into other lanes, creating quite a dangerous situation for him, the driver and others on the road.
“His foot is accelerating on the gas, and instantly, I’m in the back seat wondering, ‘Okay, my life is pretty much over at this point,'” Franklin told WTVT-TV.
Somehow, Franklin maneuvered the car to the side of the road, but the most terrifying part of the ordeal was yet to unfold.
Once the car was off the road, the driver started to wake up and wasn’t quite sure where he was. Meanwhile, Franklin hopped out of the car as Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Jack Hypes, 58, was approaching to help.
But the Uber driver reportedly put the car into reverse by accident and rammed into Hypes, pinning him under the SUV.
Acting quickly, Franklin said he somehow mustered the energy to lift the car off of the officer.
“Adrenaline was racing. Your heart, you know, is going a million miles an hour,” he told WTVT-TV. “And all you’re thinking about at that time is this, this needs to end well.”
Police are crediting Franklin for saving Hypes’ life, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“Your efforts undoubtedly saved Trooper Hypes from more serious harm, as well as that of the hundreds of drivers passing nearby as the event unfolded,” Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Gaskins wrote in a letter to Franklin.
He continued, “You are highly commended for saving everyone at risk on this day and for displaying the greatest care and concern for your fellow citizens.”
Hypes continues to recover from the ordeal.