New video shows the moment a Broward firefighter saved his girlfriend from a burning car after a fiery crash involving a fuel truck on Interstate 95 earlier this week.
The cellphone footage shows firefighter Bryan Aparicio and his girlfriend, Su Hninyi, running as the fuel tanker and other vehicles are consumed by flames.
The crash happened on I-95 near Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday. Aparicio and Hninyi were in an Uber heading to a cruise port at the time.
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Florida Highway Patrol officials said a car had traveled into the tanker's lane of travel, resulting in a collision that caused the tanker to overturn.
A third driver swerved to avoid the crash and hit the median, knocking down a light pole that fell into traffic, hitting the fourth and fifth cars, officials said.
Aparicio was able to break the back window of the burning car he was in to escape but Su was still trapped inside, so he went back to save her.
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"He sacrificed his life, his body, to ultimately save another. And that’s really the take away here of just really who he is," said Jason Smith, with the Broward County Professional Firefighter and Paramedics Union. "The burns identify exactly who he is, he didn’t worry about himself, he was clear. 'Let me get back in there,' and by taking that additional time he did save a life, but he’s going to have scars not only physical, but the emotional scars for the rest of his life."
Aparicio was burned on his face, arms and legs. Hninyi, a trainer at Equinox Gym in Brickell, is also recovering from burn injuries.
Three other people suffered injuries in the incident.
Carlos Molina, 61, has severe burns on his face, neck, hands, torso and feet after the blaze engulfed his car, his daughter said.
"I almost lost my father, my best friend, literally like my everything," his daughter Carla said.
She said he tried to swerve around the flames but it was too late.
"He went into the median. He crashed there," Carla said. "That's when his car exploded and all the gas that was leaking."
FHP officials said the driver who cut off the fuel truck is being cited.
"Our hearts go out to everyone injured in this gut-wrenching crash. We are working to get in touch with the driver and riders to check on their well-being," Uber said in a statement.
