SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – More than a month ago Bryleigh Law survived a fiery crash in Wildwood but lost her father right after her 16th birthday.
Tuesday, the sheriff recognized the men and women who stopped to help at the scene with saving the teen’s life.
It was the first time Law had seen the group of good Samaritans since they jumped into action at the crash scene.
On Jan. 17, investigators with the Florida Highway Patrol said a driver ran a stop sign at the intersection of County Road 475 and State Road 44. A car that swerved to avoid that vehicle ran right into the truck Bryleigh’s father, Joel Law, was driving, according to troopers.
The 16-year-old told our News 6 crew that she took a nap, and the next thing she knew they were in a crash.
“And then we were rolling over sideways, and then I woke up,” Bryleigh Law said.
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We first met Law’s family last month while the teen was recovering at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Her mother said she had burns on her body, multiple fractures to her pelvis, spine, and sacrum, and a concussion.
Now, she is doing much better. She is walking on her own and said she has even been horseback riding once again. It’s quite the accomplishment for the Lake Saddle Club member.
Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Pat Breeden presented Kathy Alexander, Mark Mellone, and Travis Kish with awards for their heroic actions.
“The men and women you see up here, the vehicle was on fire, they pulled Bryleigh out,” said Sheriff Breeden. He said they ended up “saving her life.”
“We thank y’all for what you did for the community,” said Sheriff Breeden. “It’s great to see people step up.”
Travis Kish said he just happened to be in the right place at the right time that day.
“My manager just so happened to let me go home from work early,” Kish said. “If she hadn’t let me go, then I wouldn’t have been able to be there.”
Kish, who works at a restaurant, said he was one of the first people to stop and help.
“I was really the only person that had reacted to anything. Everybody was maybe a little dumbfounded about what to do,” Kish said. “I made it a priority to get to the truck first, extinguish the fire and get them out, but I couldn’t have done it without other people too.”
Kish said he hopes his actions will inspire others to do the right thing too.
“Don’t just be an onlooker, you know what I mean,” Kish said. “It’s somebody’s mom. It’s somebody’s dad. It’s somebody’s grandma.”