On Tuesday afternoon, a 16-year-old employee at ACE Hardware in Redwood City, California, saved a driver after her SUV crashed through the front wall of the store. Flames ignited near where the vehicle came to a stop and smoke quickly filled the store as employees rushed to react.
The teen employee, Ricky Pera, says the SUV was in an aisle that contained butane tanks and lighters. “We had to ask fast, get her out of the vehicle, and stop the fire,” he says, describing how he and other employees acted quickly to rescue the woman. He says they focused on getting the driver out of the SUV and helping everyone exit the store safely.
The driver appeared shaken but wasn’t badly injured and told Pera she’d accidentally pressed the gas instead of the brake. Fire crews arrived moments later and extinguished the blaze before it spread further, though smoke damaged parts of the store, including holiday decorations. The store will have to be closed while they assess the damage, but thanks to Pera’s quick actions, no one was seriously hurt.
Source: ABC 7 NEWS