A driver crashed into a tree in Orange County on Sept. 25, setting the car ablaze with a woman trapped inside. Two sheriff's deputies rushed in and pulled her to safety as flames spread through the vehicle, and now investigators want the public's help tracking down two bystanders who jumped in to assist.
Deputies Xavier Galloza and Anthony Ventriere were the ones who reached the burning car, according to WFLA, which reported that the pair put their own safety on the line to save hers. Body camera footage from the scene shows the deputies pulling the woman out of the car as the fire grew, with two witnesses stepping in to help during the rescue. The Orange County Sheriff's Office said the woman survived and was taken to a hospital afterward.
Searching for the Good Samaritans
Now the sheriff's office wants to find the two men seen helping in the footage, but their identities remain unknown. Officials have said they want to publicly recognize the men for their role in helping save the woman's life, and that effort hinges entirely on someone coming forward with information. Anyone with details has been asked to reach out to the agency directly at [email protected].
As WFTV reported, department officials want to thank and publicly recognize the men's courage, but without their names or contact information, that recognition remains on hold. The crash's exact location, the woman's identity, and what led the driver to hit the tree in the first place have not been released.
Not the First Roadside Rescue in the County
This is far from the first time bystanders or deputies in Orange County have been credited with pulling someone from danger during a car fire. Back in 2018, witnesses helped pull an Orange County sergeant from a burning cruiser, according to a report from ClickOrlando. In 2021, a deputy with the same agency saved a woman from a burning car with assistance from citizens and VDOT employees, per WRIC ABC 8News.
Those earlier incidents underscore how often quick action from both law enforcement and ordinary passersby ends up being the difference in these roadside emergencies. For now, the identities of last week's two helpers remain a mystery, and the sheriff's office is counting on the public to help close that gap.
