Texas Teen Saves Elderly Couple, Wins EMT Scholarship

When Juan Mendoza saw a car spinning out of control on a rainy Texas highway, he didn't think twice about stopping. The 19-year-old Texas Roadhouse cook ran straight into traffic while other drivers passed by.

Inside the smoking vehicle sat Juan O'Matta, nearly 80, and his wife Adriana. They had just left a doctor's appointment when another car struck them, sending their vehicle careening into the middle of the road. Smoke poured from the damaged car as they sat trapped inside.

"Nobody stopped," Juan O'Matta remembered. "He was the only one who stopped."

Mendoza thought about his younger brothers as he pushed debris aside and pulled the couple to safety. "I thought they could have kids," he later explained. "And I was like, I'm going to get them out."

The O'Mattas never learned their rescuer's name that day. With help from CBS News, they tracked down Mendoza weeks later for an emotional reunion at his restaurant. Adriana called him her angel, and both struggled through tears to thank the young man who saved their lives.

Sunny's Take

The reunion brought more than gratitude. Justin Back, president of Acadian Ambulance Service, attended with a surprise that left Mendoza stunned: a full scholarship to EMT school and a conditional job offer after graduation.

"We're always looking for people who want to help others," Back said. "That takes a big heart, intelligence, courage, and toughness. That's a rare combination."

For Mendoza, who had been working as a cook, the opportunity opens an entirely new career path. His split-second decision to help strangers in danger revealed exactly the kind of character emergency services look for in their teams.

The O'Mattas got their lives back, and Mendoza got a chance to make helping people his profession. Sometimes the heroes we need are already among us, waiting for their moment.