Off-Duty Firefighter Saves Elderly Couple From Burning Car

Rosalee Rositer was heading home from her shift at New Smyrna Beach Fire Department when she saw something that made her heart skip: a car engulfed in flames deep in the woods off Interstate 95.

Without a second thought, the off-duty firefighter pulled over and ran toward the burning wreckage. Inside, an elderly couple sat trapped, wedged in their seats after their vehicle swerved off the highway and slammed into the trees.

"You kind of just go in and go for it," Rositer told reporters. "It doesn't matter if you're going to get hurt or if there's an obstacle in the way."

The crash happened around 10:50 a.m. on a Friday morning between New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange exits. Officials believe the driver may have suffered a medical emergency that caused him to lose control of the vehicle.

Rositer wasn't alone for long. A handful of bystanders and Battalion 20 rushed to help, working together to free the couple before flames could reach the cabin. They pulled the woman out first, then carefully extracted the man from the driver's seat.

"These people kind of stayed in their car, which is not a good sign," Rositer explained. Time was running out, but the team moved with precision and speed.

Why This Inspires

Rositer's response shows what happens when training meets courage. She could have driven past, trusting that help was on the way. Instead, she chose to act.

"It was really nice to have my training kind of take over and be in there and able to help," she said. Her years of experience kicked in like autopilot, guiding her through a situation most people would find overwhelming.

The rescue wasn't just one hero's story. Multiple fire departments responded, including Port Orange Fire Rescue and Volusia County Fire Rescue. Bystanders who stopped to help made the difference between life and death for two strangers.

Both victims were hospitalized as trauma alerts but survived thanks to the coordinated effort. What could have been a tragic headline became a story of strangers coming together when it mattered most.

Rositer's humility about the rescue is striking. She sees it as just doing her job, even though she was technically off the clock. That's the kind of person who runs toward danger while others run away.