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An Army football player is being hailed as a hero after he and his father jumped into action in upstate New York over the weekend, pulling a man out of a disabled vehicle moments before it went up in flames.
Larry Pickett Jr., a second-year cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point and a safety for the Army Black Knights, was spending the weekend with his family following Friday night’s game against Tarleton State.
On the way back to campus Saturday night, Larry Jr. recalled getting out of the car with his father, Larry Pickett Sr., to check out downed power lines when they saw a car that had crashed into a utility pole.
“My father and I both got out of the car, ran toward that car, and saw that there was a gentleman who needed help,” he said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
Video shared by his father on social media showed the harrowing moment the two charged towards the vehicle, pulled the man out and carried him towards safety. Electricity from the power lines could be heard snapping in the background.
The video quickly clipped to the white sedan engulfed in flames.
“Thank you Jesus that this man will live to see another day! I am so grateful for my son LJ for saving his life! Not only is he making an impact in the classroom and on the football field at the United States Military Academy at West Point, but he’s also making a difference in his community,” Larry Sr. wrote in a post on Facebook.
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“Just after midnight, I watched in awe as my son, Larry Pickett Jr., ran toward a burning vehicle, ignoring the downed power lines crackling around it. With immense courage, he pulled a man to safety, saving him from a fiery fate.”
The Fort Montgomery Fire Department confirmed that a vehicle struck a utility pole on Route 9W and “became fully engulfed in flames.”
In a statement posted to X, West Point commended Larry Jr. for his brave actions.
“We’re proud of the heroic actions taken Saturday night by Cadet Larry Pickett Jr, a second-year cadet & @ArmyWP_Football player, & his father who are seen pulling a driver to safety in a video online taken by the family. Their actions are the embodiment of the @USArmy Values.”
Larry Jr. enters his second season with the Black Knights after a successful football career at Enloe High School in North Carolina where he earned two-time All-State honors and three-time All-Conference honors.
He did not see any action as a freshman but registered one tackle in his college debut against Tarleton State on Friday.
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