Army football player Larry Pickett Jr. is being hailed a hero after pulling a man from a burning car following a crash in Fort Montgomery, New York, on Saturday.
The dramatic rescue was captured on video and shared by Pickett’s father, who praised his son’s bravery in running toward the flames before emergency crews arrived.
The crash happened shortly after midnight, with Pickett Jr. rushing toward the wreckage after the car struck a pole and caught fire.
The 20-year-old helped guide a dazed driver away from the flames, with the vehicle going up in smoke just moments later.
Despite live power lines crackling around the crash site, Pickett Jr. didn’t hesitate to act and pulled the man out of the driver’s seat to safety before firefighters arrived.
The driver appeared to be in stable condition, thanks to the Army athlete’s quick thinking, in a video posted onto Instagram by Pickett’s father.
Army football player Larry Pickett Jr. is being hailed after pulling a man from a burning car
The 20-year-old helped guide a dazed driver away from the flames on Saturday night
‘Thank you Jesus that this man will live to see another day!’ Larry Pickett Sr. wrote on Instagram. ‘I am so grateful for my son LJ for saving his life!’
‘Just after Midnight, I watched in awe as my son, Larry Pickett Jr., ran toward a burning vehicle, ignoring the downed power lines crackling around it,’ he continued.
‘With immense courage, he pulled a man to safety, saving him from a fiery fate. 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.’
Speaking to WRAL News, Pickett Sr. said his son has always had a natural instinct 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.’
Pickett Jr. is now in his second year with the Army football program
He added that he wasn’t sure of the man’s exact condition, but said his injuries didn’t appear to be life-threatening.
Pickett Jr. is now in his second year with the Army football program and just made his first on-field appearance last Friday in a 30–27 loss to Tarleton State.
He comes from a football family – his uncle is former NFL cornerback Ike Taylor, who played 12 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and won two Super Bowls.
Before enrolling at West Point, Pickett was a standout athlete at Enloe High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he played on both sides of the ball and competed in high jump and long jump.
