VIDEO: Bishop hailed a hero after rescuing young boy from fiery crash on I-495
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - A Virginia bishop is being hailed as a hero after rescuing a young boy from the wreckage of a fiery crash on the Beltway in Prince George’s County.
Maryland State Police say the dangerous crash happened around 11 a.m. on I-495 near the Maryland Route 4 exit in the Forestville area.
Bishop John Adonteng Boateng told FOX 5 he and his wife were driving down I-495 when they saw the shocking collision.
Authorities say a dump truck blew a tire and crossed into the inner-loop lanes of the highway where it collided head-on with an SUV. The crash caused the SUV to burst into flames.
Boateng didn’t waste any time, pulling over and courageously jumping in to help the victims.
The mother was able to pull herself out while dramatic video shows Boateng carrying the little boy away from heavy smoke and fire. The little boy’s clothes are burned, and he’s visibly scared — but he’s alive — and the bishop said that was all that mattered to him at the moment.
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"‘I’m going to save a life," Boateng said when asked what he was thinking as he ran to help the child. "There was nothing. I could have died. This could have been my end, but my passion was to help. God used me to give him a second chance."
Boateng is the bishop at Divine World International Ministries of Woodbridge. He says amid the chaos, he simply followed his instincts.
"There were so many explosions, but I didn’t even pay attention to that. My first instinct was to reach out and help that poor little child," he said.
Medics drove the mother and son to a hospital. They’re both expected to survive but were left with serious injuries.
Maryland State Police say the driver and a child passenger of the dump truck were also taken to a local hospital.
The bishop says he’s thankful that everyone survived. At this time, the cause of the crash remains under investigation.