TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa man is calling his Uber driver a hero for jumping into action after a driver crashed their vehicle right in front of them.
John T. Fox tells WFLA a recent family trip took a rather unexpected turn when they were heading back from the airport in an Uber last Saturday.
“This red Toyota Tacoma comes kind of flying and it flips two or three, or three or four times, and it lands, thankfully, goes through one lane of traffic and lands in the grassy median,” Fox recalled.
Fox said his Uber driver, Almir immediately pulled over to check on the passengers.
“It didn’t look good. I was absolutely prepared for the worst,” Fox said.
When they heard someone cry out for help, John said Almir didn’t hesitate before jumping into action and pulling the driver out of the truck to safety.
“We saw a hand move. He doesn’t even think, he runs right for the car, fluids pouring out and lifts him up and pulls him out. The drivers side window was on the ground, so he pulled him out the passenger side window,” Fox said.
Fox said the driver was injured, but was able to walk away from the crash.
“There was an elderly couple who also stopped and they helped clean him up, and Almir grabbed wipes from his car,” said Fox.
They waited for first responders to arrive, then continued their Uber ride home.
Fox was so impressed by Almir’s actions he tipped the maximum amount the app would allow, but said that didn’t feel like enough.
“You don’t really hear about all the good, all the good folks that run to a disaster, run to an emergency and really help,” Fox said.
He posted about the experience on social media, hoping Almir would get recognition for what he did.
“It was like this terrifying moment, but then it turned into like this just it was humanity at its best,” said Fox.
An Uber representative sent WFLA the following statement regarding Almir’s actions:
“Almir’s swift and courageous action during such a scary situation is nothing short of heroic. His bravery and selflessness make the Uber community stronger, and we’re thankful for his commitment to keep his fellow Floridians safe.”