A former NFL player saved a man from a fiery semi-truck minutes after it had been struck by a train. According to the East Idaho News, Brandon Bair, who spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, was driving on Highway 20 in St. Anthony, Idaho last week when he saw the semi-truck get hit by the train, which caused an explosion. He called 911 and then raced to the vehicle after heading a voice from inside.
“It was a conscious decision that I’m going in because he needs help right now,” Bair told East Idaho News. “I ran up to the window and saw dripping, hot flames all over inside of the truck. I could see a guy in a seatbelt and was able to reach in and get it off of him. He was talking, and I told him we had to get out of here now.”
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Bair, 36, climbed halfway into the wreckage and pulled the man, 25-year-old Steven Jenson out through a rear window between the passenger seat and the driver’s seat. And Bair was able to get Jenson out in the nick of time. “We walked away, and within seconds, the fire on the roof fell down inside, and the whole seat and cab went up in flames,” Bair said. “A few minutes later, there were a couple big booms and explosions.”
Jensen was then airlifted to a local hospital. He was in fair condition as of Friday, and Idaho State police were investigating the crash. “All I can say is this guy was supposed to live. I’m a man of faith, and I’ve learned to listen to your gut and the promptings you get,” Bair said. “The Lord wanted him alive. Things could have gone different a million different directions, but things worked out on his behalf. That’s my conclusion. Whether it was me or someone else, he was supposed to live.”
Bair, a defensive end, first signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent from Oregon in 2011. He also spent time with the Oakland Raiders but didn’t see any action until the 2014 season when he was with the Eagles. During that season, Bair played in all 16 games and recorded 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He played in five games with two starts in 2015 and notched 11 tackles.
