An Army football player was caught on video heroically pulling a man from a burning car in Upstate New York, after the driver slammed into a utility pole, causing power lines to spark around the wreck.
Black Knights sophomore safety Larry Pickett Jr. didn’t hesitate when he saw a car engulfed in flames on Route 9W in Fort Montgomery, early Sunday morning, WTVD reported.
Pickett Jr., 20, was returning from dinner in New York City with his family when they noticed the crash and he sprang into action.
“There was no discussion. My son just jumped right into action,” Larry Pickett Sr. told the outlet.
“It’s just amazing to see him in action. And it’s just not surprising because we’ve watched him his whole life do amazing things.”
Startling video posted on Facebook by his father shows his son fearlessly running toward the vehicle and pulling the man out from the driver’s seat.
Soon after moving the man to safety, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.
“Thank you Jesus that this man will live to see another day! I am so grateful for my son LJ for saving his life!” his father shared.
“Not only is he making an impact in the classroom and on the football field at the United States Military Academy at West Point, but he’s also making a difference in his community!”
Pickett Sr. credited his son’s West Point training for giving him the courage to save the man’s life.
“This is more than a display of leadership; 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,” he wrote.
“To see that courage and selflessness in action firsthand was truly incredible.”
Firefighters eventually responded to the crash site and extinguished the blaze, according to the Fort Montgomery Fire Department.
Pickett Sr. said he didn’t know the man’s exact condition but believed his injuries weren’t serious.
West Point also recognized Pickett Jr.’s “heroic actions” and wrote in a Facebook post Sunday that the young cadet “running towards danger to save lives is the embodiment of the Army Values and Warrior Ethos.”
Pickett Sr. also revealed to WRAL that even before his son attended West Point, he was driven by a desire to help others.
“I remember right before we brought him to West Point, he actually chased down somebody that was shoplifting from a store in Raleigh,” he said.
“It was like, ‘LJ, that’s dangerous. Like, you don’t know what he could have had on him.’ It’s just his instinct to be there and to help people, and obviously his training at West Point.”
The 20-year-old safety is a native of Raleigh, NC, and was a standout two-way football player for Enloe High School, according to his West Point bio.
Pickett Jr. is the nephew of former Pittsburgh Steelers star and two-time Super Bowl champion Ike Taylor, who spent 12 seasons in the NFL.
Beyond football, Pickett Jr. devotes his time to serving others — volunteering as a youth ambassador at Raleigh’s Marbles Kids Museum and traveling with his parents to Mexico to help build homes for families in need.
The 6’1″, 195-pound safety made his Army debut in Friday’s game against Tarleton State, which Army lost in double overtime.
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