Bryan, TX - Truck driver Henry Tucker Jr. saved a 29-year-old nurse trapped in a burning car early Friday by dousing the blaze with a fire extinguisher. This marks the third time Tucker has come across a vehicle in flames and has been able to erase the immediate danger with his trusty fire extinguisher. The nurse, Signe Smith, of Grotan, Conn., was driving west on Texas 21 about 10:00am when her vehicle's engine malfunctioned, causing her to lose control, police said. The vehicle flipped and landed upside down in the middle of the highway, according to witnesses. Smith, a licensed vocational nurse who had been in North Zulch for her aunt's funeral, was pinned inside for more than an hour as crews worked to rescue her. The car was lying on top of Smith's long hair, police said, adding that she was wearing a seat belt. Before firefighters arrived at the scene, Tucker sprang into action. Later, law enforcement officials praised his quick actions. But the 33-year-old Nacogdoches resident, who said he's seen many horrific accidents over the 11 years in which he's been a truck driver, said he doesn't consider himself a hero. "It's the Lord's will to help other people," he said. "The first thing I think about is if they have kids, because I have kids. Whatever I can do to save a person's life, I will do it. What I did today, in the Lord's eyes, he will reward me in the long run." Smith eventually was freed from the vehicle with help from volunteers with the Brazos County Precinct 2 Fire Department and the Bryan Fire Department. She was taken by helicopter to St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan, where she was treated for minor bumps and scratches, then released in the afternoon.
Smith's mother, Marsene Emert, told The Eagle that her daughter was shaken but doing fine Friday night. She said she's thankful for everyone who helped save her daughter. "We are very blessed," said Emert, whose sister recently died. "It could've been two funerals. The Fire Department and police did their jobs. I was very impressed."
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