In a dramatic moment on a quiet stretch of highway, a 20-year-old Army football player sprang into action to save a man from a burning vehicle surrounded by arcing power lines.
According to New York Post, Army West Point cadet Larry Pickett Jr. rescued a man from a fiery car crash on Route 9W in Fort Montgomery, New York, just moments before the vehicle became completely engulfed in flames.
The incident happened early Sunday morning when a car collided with a utility pole along the roadside. The impact brought down power lines, which began sparking around the crash site, eventually setting the vehicle on fire. As the flames grew, nearby bystanders got a firsthand look at an act of courage rarely seen.
Pickett, a sophomore safety for the Army football team and a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, had just wrapped up a New York City dinner outing with his family when they came upon the scene. Without hesitation, he bolted from his vehicle toward the burning wreck. His father, Larry Pickett Sr., captured the harrowing moment in a video later shared on Facebook.
Pickett Jr. raced to the car and pulled the driver from the flames, dragging him away to safety. Only moments after the rescue, the vehicle was fully consumed by fire. Firefighters from the Fort Montgomery Fire Department arrived shortly after to extinguish the flames, which had overtaken the car entirely.
Cadet’s Quick Thinking Caught on Camera
Video footage taken by Pickett Sr. provided a chilling look at the unfolding rescue. Though the video did not reveal the exact condition of the driver, Pickett Sr. said he believed the driver’s injuries were not severe. He credited both divine protection and his son's training for the life-saving outcome.
“There was no discussion,” Pickett Sr. said of the moment his son leapt into danger. “My son just jumped right into action.” He emphasized how amazed he was to watch his son in that moment, but also added that such instincts were familiar to those who knew the young cadet well. “It’s just not surprising because we’ve watched him his whole life do amazing things,” he said.
West Point issued a public statement acknowledging the cadet’s bravery, commending him for embodying the Army’s principles of valor and service. In their words, Pickett’s decision to risk his own safety demonstrated the character and readiness that West Point fosters in its future leaders.
Background of a Born Helper
Before his tenure at West Point, Pickett made headlines in his hometown for a similar act of quick thinking and bravery. His father recalled a time when his son chased down a shoplifter outside a store in Raleigh. “It was like, ‘LJ, that’s dangerous. Like, you don’t know what he could have had on him,” Pickett Sr. said. “It’s just his instinct to be there and to help people.”
Aside from his duties on the football field and in the classroom, Pickett Jr. also devotes his time to volunteer efforts. In Raleigh, he has worked with children at the Marbles Kids Museum and participated in home-building trips in Mexico with his family. These actions further illustrate his ongoing commitment to public service, even beyond the military environment.
Athletically, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety had just made his debut in Army’s double-overtime loss to Tarleton State two days before the crash. In addition, he is the nephew of Ike Taylor, the two-time Super Bowl champion who played 12 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Army Community Reflects on Heroic Moment
In their message following the incident, West Point leadership praised Pickett Jr. for running toward danger instead of away from it. “Running towards danger to save lives is the embodiment of the Army Values and Warrior Ethos,” the statement read. This reflection echoed the sentiments of his family and community, all of whom expressed pride in the cadet’s instincts and decisive action.
His father elaborated further on the kind of preparation West Point provides, noting how it played a pivotal role in his son’s ability to make such a daring rescue. “This is more than a display of leadership,” he wrote on Facebook. “It’s a testament to the character West Point is building in him—a readiness to go into the line of fire, not just for his country, but for anyone who needs it.”
Pickett Sr. shared his gratitude in a heartfelt post, writing, “Thank you, Jesus, that this man will live to see another day! I am so grateful to my son LJ for saving his life!” The emotional weight of that moment was not lost on those who witnessed the rescue in person or through the video shared later.
Preparedness Meets Powerful Instincts
In looking back at his son’s journey, Pickett Sr. said Larry had shown consistent signs of stepping up when help was needed. From earlier incidents to his volunteer commitments, the cadet had long displayed a sense of duty that now proved life-saving on a burning roadside.
Those who know him view this recent act as a continuation of that same calling. “Not only is he making an impact in the classroom and on the football field at the United States Military Academy at West Point,” Pickett Sr. said, “but he’s also making a difference in his community!”
As the man he rescued recovers, and investigations into the accident’s cause continue, one fact remains undisputed: Larry Pickett Jr.’s swift response likely saved a life.
