Driver Rescues Woman, 73, From Burning Car on Highway

When Santino Cirello saw smoke billowing from another car on Sunrise Highway Tuesday morning, he didn't hesitate. He pulled over, ran to the burning vehicle, and pulled a 73-year-old woman from the flames before her car was engulfed.

The rescue happened around 11:20 a.m. on Sunrise Highway in Bohemia, New York. Cirello, 52, was driving when he noticed fire coming from the woman's car and flagged her down to alert her.

Both drivers pulled over immediately. Cirello rushed to help the elderly woman out of her vehicle and away from the growing fire.

The 52-year-old Holbrook resident was treated at a local hospital for smoke inhalation. The woman he saved escaped without serious injuries, according to police.

Sunny's Take

What makes Cirello's story so moving isn't just what he did but how he sees it. "You just react," he told News 12 in an exclusive interview. "You see someone in need and you do it. I think that everybody has that in them to do it."

He's not looking for recognition or praise. He's simply grateful the outcome was positive. "It was unbelievable," Cirello said. "And I'm just glad it turned out the way it turned out."

His words remind us that heroism doesn't require superpowers or special training. Sometimes it just requires noticing someone in trouble and choosing to help instead of looking away.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. But the reason two people went home safely that day is crystal clear: one person chose to stop, and another's life was saved because of it.

In a world that often feels rushed and disconnected, Cirello's split-second decision proves we're still watching out for each other.