Paralyzed Dallas man pulled from burning car by stranger

DALLAS - A Dallas man wants to thank a woman who helped rescue him from a burning car. 

Dennis Brown is paralyzed from the waist down, which made it challenging for him to get out of the rental car before it burst into flames. 

Brown says the woman who pulled him out of the burning car is a true hero, risking her life to save his. 

Images of flames engulfing Brown's car show how close he came to losing his life if not for a woman who bravely acted fast. 

"I had rented a car from Enterprise equipped with hand control. I have been in the car several times. It seemed like the car was about to give out," he said. "I looked up. The front end was on fire."

Brown was paralyzed by a gunman when he was 22 years old. So when his car caught fire, he started to panic while trying to get his wheelchair out. Then, suddenly, help was by his side.

"The car is ablaze now. She is panicking. I'm like, ‘Oh, wow. This isn't going to happen,’" he said.

The woman quickly gave up on assembling the wheelchair and pulled Brown out of the car. 

"I'd like to appreciate her for her heroic act," he said. "She went into harm’s way to save me. Dragged me out. I'd like to thank her."

Brown's mother, Julia, says she went back to the house where the woman was visiting to thank her but did not get her name. 

"I almost lost my child in this burning car," she said. "I cannot thank her enough. If she had not pulled him out, he would have burned in that car. She was his angel."

Now, Brown has survived two near-death experiences and is using his life to the fullest. 

"Life is beautiful, even from a sitting down position," he said.

Brown says he hopes the person who helped him will reach out so that he can say thank you in person.