'Your husband is a hero': Man helps driver escape burning vehicle in Raynham

Namu Sampath, The Enterprise
·2 min read
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RAYNHAM – It was just a regular Sunday morning until drivers on the Pleasant Street overpass noticed what looked like a brush fire on Route 24.

Brian Maynard, 58, was driving on the overpass on Sunday, Nov. 20, when he noticed smoke filling the air. He quickly turned his car around to get a better look.

As he got closer, he noticed a car was catching on fire, and a person inside the vehicle was trying to get out.

A passerby on a bicycle lent a helping hand.

"The bicyclist was trying the driver's side door handle, but it wouldn't budge," he said. "So I moved his airbag out of the way and pulled him out of his window."

Minutes later, the entire car was engulfed in flames.

"After we pulled him out, I looked at the kid and asked if he was OK, and he did a small nod," Maynard said. "I think he was in a state of shock."

Two passersby in Raynham help a young man escape from his burning vehicle after a car crash on Route 24.
Two passersby in Raynham help a young man escape from his burning vehicle after a car crash on Route 24.

"We waited for first responders to arrive before leaving," he said.

The driver, a 28-year-old Berkley man, was transported to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, according to a spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police.

"At around 10 a.m. Sunday morning, the driver crashed into a guardrail, where the vehicle then fully engulfed in fire," the spokesperson said.

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The vehicle was a 2013 Dodge Dart.

The police are investigating the cause of the accident, including whether the driver was under the influence when he crashed his car.

Hours after the incident, Maynard's wife, Maria, posted on Facebook, about her husband's act of courageousness that morning. Thanks from fellow Raynham residents poured in.

"Your husband is a hero," one said.

Staff writer Namu Sampath can be reached at nsampath@enterprisenews.com, or you can follow her on Twitter @namusampath. Thank you, subscribers. You make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Brockton Enterprise.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Raynham rescue: Brian Maynard helps man escape burning car on Route 24