Good Samaritan saves driver from fiery Grand Parkway crash: 'I shall fear no evil'

HOUSTON - A crash on SH-99 left one person dead and another in critical condition after a car caught fire upon striking a guardrail. A good Samaritan, Fabian Gutierrez, risked his life to pull the driver from the burning vehicle.

Fatal Grand Parkway crash

What we know:

A car burst into flames after crashing into a guardrail on State Highway 99, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. The passenger died at the scene, and the driver was taken to the hospital in critical condition. 

‘That’s not how he wanted to go'

What they're saying:

Fabian Gutierrez's quick actions may have saved the driver's life.

Gutierrez described the chaotic moment.

"Out of nowhere, just in the blink of an eye, we just see this van that just smacks into one of the barriers on Highway 99, going westbound. Immediately, the hood of the vehicle bursts into flames; there was smoke everywhere."

Despite the danger, Gutierrez and others worked to pry open the car door. 

"We do our best to just pry the door open to see if we can get the gentleman out, because clearly, you know, he's in danger at the moment," he said.

Gutierrez faced intense heat and smoke, suffering second and third-degree burns to his arm. He credits his faith for empowering him during the rescue. 

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for your staff and your rod comfort me," he recited, referencing Psalm 23. 

Gutierrez always wears a bracelet with the psalm and a chain with a cross. 

"If you have faith, the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you," Gutierrez continued.

Despite the risks, Gutierrez felt compelled to act. 

"The man seemed desperate. And, you know, I had people in the background just yelling, 'Get away from the vehicle. It's dangerous.' But all I could see was this man's hand through all the smoke, through all the rubble and everything. I grabbed onto him, and you could feel that that's not how he wanted to go."