DETROIT (WXYZ) — Body camera footage captured the moment a Detroit firefighter risked his life to pull a woman from a burning SUV on the city's west side.
The footage shows firefighter Donald Faulkner rescuing 52-year-old Latashia Collins from the burning vehicle. The SUV caught fire after a crash involving a truck on Davison near Petoskey.
When Faulkner arrived, Collins was trapped inside with the door locked.
Watch the body camera footage in the video player below:
"Tried to pull the door, that's when I checked all of them, after that I just found the best route and get her out of there with the least injuries as possible," Faulkner said.
He said hearing her cries drove him forward.
"I heard her screaming just to help. I'm from here, I look at all these citizens like family members, so ... like it's my own mom in there," Faulkner said.
Collins suffered multiple fractures, third-degree burns, and internal bleeding — injuries that required several surgeries.
"She really truly has made a tremendous recovery, given everything she's gone through, the amount of time that she's had to be in the intensive care unit because of the swell of her injuries. She has worked so hard — she really truly is a miracle," DMC Detroit Receiving Burn Center surgeon Dr. David Springstead said.
Faulkner and Fire Commissioner Chuck Sims recently visited Collins in the hospital. Her road to recovery is far from over, but her family credits surgeons and medical staff at DMC Detroit Receiving Burn Center — and Faulkner — for saving her life.
"Thank you to the Detroit firefighters. I'm really thankful and grateful for them, and I feel like they deserve more recognition than what they get honestly, because they really are, the firefighters are really the real heroes," Collins' daughter Tanisha Morgan said.
Faulkner has since been honored for his heroism. Despite the recognition, he remains humble about his actions.
"I'm just doing my job, man," Faulkner said.
He said his thoughts remain with Collins and her family.
"I'm just glad she's doing better. Keep praying for it. I hope she keep healing up and, yeah, just love to her family," Faulkner said.
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