Samaritans run to Turnpike trucker whose leg is on fire: Heroic moments of 2015

It was late in the day, Aug. 12, when calls started coming into the station — there was a stunning fireball on the New Jersey Turnpike after two tractor-trailers collided, causing a series of explosions.

The crash shut down the roadway for hours. It was a nightmarish collision that could have been much worse — fortunately, both drivers got out.

But what impressed us most was a simple act of heroism.

In the video by Australian tourist Anthony Wilson (above), we see his wife Jacqui Wilson and his brother-in-law Simon Byrne as they rush to the aid of one of the drivers of the tractor trailers. As the driver exited the vehicle, they noticed that his leg was on fire.

Wilson said it appeared as though one of the trucks “flipped over a barrier between the car and truck lanes.” He also said the drivers immediately jumped out as other motorists ran to his aid.

The highway's lanes finished reopening the next morning.