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Off-duty firefighter rescues man in burning car

The off-duty firefighter quickly sprang into action and rescued the man who was trapped in a blue Corvette.

Julia Joseph

May 6, 2024, 5:57 PM

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Lt. Richard Cannon was off duty Saturday morning when he and his family were driving on the Belt Parkway.

He says two cars sped past him and the impact shook their vehicle. Moments later, he saw a cloud of smoke.


"As we pulled up, we noticed two cars in an accident", Cannon recalls. "One of the cars was on fire."


Cannon quickly sprang into action and rescued the man who was trapped in a blue Corvette. He says being off duty is not a term in his job.


"I don't think anyone of us is ever off duty and not doing anything. If something happens , we all are trained and supposed to react and do our job," he says


Cannon's actions may have saved a life, but the crash, which he says appears to have been caused by a high-speed drag race between two cars, should be a lesson for drivers.

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