'Super Zupo' saves woman from car fire after traffic wreck in Boynton Beach
Leo Zupo is a longtime Boynton Beach resident and a jack-of-all-trades. As the owner of a local home improvement business, he takes on new jobs every day: painting, pressure washing, plumbing, flooring and remodeling.
Now, he can add lifesaving to the list.
Zupo, 39, had just picked up a load of sand for a paving job on the morning of April 1 when he saw a wreck unfold in the distance, near the intersection of Gateway Boulevard and Lawrence Road. An Oldsmobile sedan and a Volvo SUV came into focus as he drove closer to the scene.
The Volvo sat with its bumper crushed and its front-right tire bent at an angle, but the driver was safe, so Zupo directed his attention to the Oldsmobile.
This is what longtime @cityofboynton resident Leo Zupo saw when he neared a wreck at the intersection of Gateway Boulevard and Lawrence Road earlier this month. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/7JBGZhBEcF
— Giuseppe Sabella (@Gsabella) April 17, 2023
Its hood was pealed back and Zupo could see small flames beginning to form in the engine. Smoke poured into the car while a woman sat motionless in the driver’s seat — apparently unconscious after the crash.
“Everybody is jumping out of their cars to record or take pictures with their phone and I’m thinking, ‘This is crazy,” said Zupo, the owner of Super Zupo Home Improvement.
He embodied his superhero alter ego and jumped into action, blocking oncoming traffic with his truck, running to the Oldsmobile and assessing the situation.
The wreck had created a gap in the door jamb, so Zupo used his fingers to grasp the inside of the door and pull as hard as he could. To his surprise, the door popped open and startled the woman.
“She woke up and I told her we gotta move pretty quick,” he said.
But she couldn’t walk, Zupo said, so he yanked her from the burning vehicle and pulled her to a nearby sidewalk. It wasn’t long before the fire completely engulfed the front of her car.
With both drivers safe, Zupo joined the other onlookers as the sound of a fire truck grew closer.
“I was just hoping nothing happens to me," Zupo said, reflecting on the moment he decided to help. "I have my son that’s 3 years old, and I just lost my own dad three months ago.”
Zupo pried the door open with his fingers and pulled the woman to a nearby curb before the fire completely engulfed the front of her car. Emergency responders arrived soon after. "I'm just grateful I could help somebody," he said. Keep an eye on the @pbpost for a full story. pic.twitter.com/9n8VNsCqBZ
— Giuseppe Sabella (@Gsabella) April 17, 2023
He said the woman later called to offer her thanks, along with a gift card to Longhorn Steakhouse, but her gratitude was plenty. Zupo's only hope is that more people offer a helping hand when given the chance, whether that means jumping into action or calling 911.
"I just know I was there at the right time, and it's crazy that nobody else wanted to help," he said. "Everybody is quick to grab their phones and record."
Giuseppe Sabella is a reporter covering Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at gsabella@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism and subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 'Super Zupo' jumps into action after car catches fire in Boynton Beach
