February 01st, 2015

16-year-old Andrew Franco lives about a block away from the on-ramp to the 710 Expressway in Long Beach, California. On the afternoon of January 13, Andrew heard what sounded like a car crash. He ran from his house to the site of the accident and found a car that was overturned. Apparently, the car had fallen 50 feet from the expressway above, and had landed upside-down, trapping the woman inside the vehicle.
This wasn't the first time Andrew ran to the rescue. Only 8 days before, a similar car accident had occurred! In that case, the male driver was not injured, but Andrew had been ready to help and do whatever he had to.
But this time was different; the victim needed Andrew's help! The woman was trapped inside her car, unable to get out! The doors were jammed. With the help of his pocketknife, Andrew broke one of the windows and dragged the woman 30 feet away to a safe spot. He then ran as fast as he could to get a first-aid kit and help stop the woman's bleeding. The paramedics arrived shortly afterward and rushed her to the hospital. Thanks to the quick and brave actions of Andrew, the unidentified woman was okay. When asked why he responded the way he did, he said, "I had to!" The city of Long Beach gave Andrew the Valor Award, which is reserved for heroic situations. And a hero he is!

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