This might look like a scene from Fast and Furious or a Bond movie, but unfortunately, it happened in real life at an interstate in Salt Lake, Utah. Thanks to a concerned stranger who saved his fellow driver from his car which was already in flames.
This real-life Superman may not have superpowers but his genuine concern for his fellow driver saved a lot of lives. Caden Pabst was headed north on I-15 and was getting off on the I-215 Belt Route when he saw smoke from underneath the car of the driver beside him. He knew that instant that his fellow driver’s life was in danger.
He saw flames under the car and he started to shout, “I was yelling, ‘Move over, right now! Move over!’ And when he gave me the thumbs up, I was like ‘No, move over, move over, now!” he said. “One hundred percent, his engine would have blown up. He had no idea. He just gave me a thumbs up. He was just living life,” Pabst said.
He continued to yell and forced him to pull over instantly. The driver listened and pulled over after a while. But Pabst was not yet done helping, he ran toward him and helped him. After a short while, once the driver was able to safely get out, the Kia Rio burst into flames and eventually, exploded.
“Oh, it was massive! Pretty solid 10 feet into the air. It was a lot of fire,” Pabst described.”(And then), you just heard a massive explosion, and we went over there and there were little bits of his engine. It was crazy.” Judging from the condition of the car after it exploded, survival was surely impossible.
A Good Samaritan jumps into action to help a stranger.. the driver of this car had no idea his car was on fire.. @KSL5TV at 6 pic.twitter.com/D1HmNRIGV4
— Dan Rascon (@TVDanRascon) November 9, 2021
“He was thanking me a lot,” said Pabst in KSL-TV. It could have been the last day of this driver on earth, but thank God for concerned and brave citizens like Pabst, he had a second shot at life. This was a very dangerous situation not only for the driver but also for the people around him. One could just imagine what harm it will cause him and those driving around him if the car exploded in the middle of the freeway. More lives could have been lost in a snap of a finger.
Sgt. Cameron Roden with the Utah Highway Patrol interviewed the driver and said that he wanted to give the full credit to Pabst.
“Once the car was completely in flames, I was just, like, really grateful that I really, honestly stopped, because a lot of people didn’t. I guess I’m just not the kind of person that can see someone in a lot of trouble and not do something about it,” said Pabst in an interview.
One need not have a cape or superpowers to save lives. Genuine concern, love, and compassion are what’s needed to serve and help others. Pabst could have ignored the driver but he opted to be inconvenienced to help. May we also welcome unexpected circumstances with gladness and use them as opportunities to help people. One never knows the impact it will have on others.
“Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others.” Philippians 2:4