Hero Khaled Annewetey saves man from burning car

A Brisbane dad who because a hero on his way to work when he dived into a burning car to save its driver who was burning alive inside has shared his incredible story. WARNING: GRAPHIC

Good Samaritan Khaled Annewetey with his young family.

The heroic father who rescued a man who was burning alive in a fireball crash at Archerfield this week has shared incredible detail of the fleeting seconds he had to save his life.

Khaled Annewetey, 41, said instinct took over when he saw a car on fire near the intersection of Boundary and Beaudesert roads, Archerfield, while on his way to work Wednesday, August 23.

He had been on his way to work at InfraBuild Sustainable Steel where he was the afternoon shift supervisor when he heard a loud “thud” coming from a nearby car.

Mr Annewetey swerved his car across three lanes of traffic to help the driver, who was burning alive inside the car.

A man is in a critical condition with severe burns after a single-vehicle crash ignited into a raging blaze on Beaudesert Road in Archerfield just before 12:40pm today. Picture: 9 NEWS

“I was just sitting at the lights, and I heard a big thud,” Mr Annewetey said.

“I looked in the rearview mirror, and I saw a big B-double truck just swerving in the middle lane, and I’m thinking someone had rear-ended the truck.

“Seconds later, I see to my left-hand side a white station wagon with a bloke hunched over the wheel slowly go up the sidewalk and onto the grassy patch.

“At the same time, I noticed smoke coming out of it as well, and then there were flames out of where the roof was.

“I turned left and got out of the car.

“Left (my) car on the road, running, doors wide open, (I) just bolted out.

“I didn’t have much time to really hesitate. It was really one of those things.

“I noticed he was on fire himself, his head, shoulders, back – he was just out of it too – he wasn’t moving or anything.

“Luckily, the door was halfway opened, so I swung that open and luckily, he wasn’t buckled into his seat belt.

Hero dad Khaled Annewetey with his young family.

“His seat belt was halfway across him, and that was how I was able to get him out.

“Pretty much not even two or three seconds after that, the whole car just went up (in flames).

“Pretty intense flames – it was seconds from becoming an inferno.

“There was another bloke, he also attempted to run over and he even told me if it wasn’t for me, he would have never have made it.

“When I saw the smoke, I kinda just kept like assessing what’s going on here, and when I saw those flames, and he was still not moving, that was when I pretty much just went on instinct and just acted.”

He said his major concern had been to save the man before the situation became any more dangerous.

“That bloke would have just burnt alive – it was that quick,” Mr Annewetey said.

“He was literally on fire as I was taking him out as well.

“I was the first one to pull him out and drag him away.

“So I was patting him down with my hands, trying to put him out.

“He was screaming and yelling … he was just yelling in excruciating pain.

“If I did hesitate, it would have been too late, and I wouldn’t have risked my life ’cause I have a family of my own – I have kids.

A man is in a critical condition with severe burns after a single-vehicle crash ignited into a raging blaze on Beaudesert Road in Archerfield just before 12:40pm today. Picture: 9 NEWS

“I have been known to always help whoever needs help within the family or friends, but I never thought I would end up saving someone’s life.

“It was just horrific for that bloke, too. He was pretty badly burnt, something you would never wish anyone to witness.

“His head, shoulders, back, arms, pretty much skin hanging off both arms – a fair bit of burn.

“His back was just charred.

“I couldn’t let him sit there and burn – it was just awful.”

Mr Annewetey said the moment was intense, but his injuries were nothing more than superficial compared to that of the driver’s.

“I got burns to my fingers – I thought that was painful, but I can’t imagine what he was going through.

Fire crews work to douse the flames after a fiery crash in Archerfield.

“It was a pretty intense moment.

“I tried to calm him down and talk to him to keep him awake cause he was just going in and out (of consciousness).

“He was definitely not there his eyes were pretty much burnt – pretty much pure red.

“I didn’t really think until after of what else could happen, but luckily, I walked away with minor burns.

“Two fingers (burnt) on both hands – I got a couple of big blisters on the ends of my fingers.

“On my right hand and my left hand, I’ve got inside middle finger, and the finger next to it is all blistery.

“It was more superficial.

“Considering he was on fire and I managed to walk away with this (minor burns), I am very lucky.”