Army Football's Larry Pickett Jr. Rescues Man Before Car Exploded from Crash in NY

Army safety Larry Pickett Jr. is only a second-year cadet at the service academy, but he's already a hero.

Per ESPN, Pickett rescued a man from a burning vehicle early Sunday morning on Route 9W in Fort Montgomery, New York, about five miles south of Army's West Point campus.

Pickett was traveling with his family when they saw a crashed vehicle surrounded by downed power lines after it had collided with a utility pole, per the Fort Montgomery Fire Department. In Facebook videos posted by his family, Pickett and his father were seen lifting the driver from the vehicle and carrying him away from the crash scene. The vehicle burst into flames shortly after the rescue.

Larry Pickett Sr. told multiple local media outlets that his son, a redshirt freshman from Raleigh, North Carolina, didn't hesitate to run toward the vehicle as soon as he saw the accident.

"There was no discussion. My son just jumped right into action," the elder Pickett told Raleigh-based ABC11. "He mentioned his military training kicked in, and we pulled [the man] out. He took care of him on the side of the road until the police officers got there, and then the fire department got there shortly after."

Army athletic director Tom Theodorakis released a statement saying that Pickett and his father "exemplify the values we hold dear, stepping up in a moment of crisis to save a life," and the U.S. Military Academy praised them for their heroic actions.

Pickett made his college football debut on Friday night and recorded a tackle in Army's 30-27 overtime upset loss to FCS opponent Tarleton State. The Black Knights will face No. 17 Kansas State on Saturday.