A U.S. Military Academy football player and his father saved a man trapped in a burning vehicle during a Labor Day weekend incident in upstate New York. Larry Pickett Jr., a safety for the Army football team, and his father, Larry Pickett Sr., pulled the victim from a white sedan engulfed in flames after it struck a utility pole.

The family was returning to West Point following a dinner in New York City when they encountered the accident. Video shared by the family shows the car crashed into a tree, with a wooden pole partially crushing its structure. Pickett Jr. described his actions as instinctive, stating, “We just saw that there’s a car that crashed, somebody who needed our help and without thinking we just reacted.”

Pickett Sr. credited his son for the rescue in an Instagram post, highlighting his courage amid dangerous conditions. The Fort Montgomery Fire Department confirmed the scene involved a vehicle fully engulfed in flames after colliding with a utility pole. Army officials praised Pickett Jr.’s actions, emphasizing his embodiment of military values such as duty and honor.

The U.S. Military Academy and Army Athletic Director Tom Theodorakis acknowledged the Pickets’ bravery, calling their response “the embodiment” of Army principles. No further details about the victim’s condition or the incident’s circumstances were provided in the original text.