Wilmington man describes saving woman from fiery crash in South Carolina

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man is being hailed a hero across state lines after he helped save a woman from a fiery crash on his drive home for Easter weekend.

The deadly motor home wreck was on I-95 in South Carolina Thursday evening.

“I see a little bit of movement and I spot this woman in the wreckage,” Tim Hunley describing the moments before he saved a woman’s life. “And I’m thinking I can’t, you know, I can’t go in there I’m going to catch on fire, it’s going to explode I’m going to die.”

Hunley risked his life for a complete stranger.

“I truly believe if I wouldn’t have pulled her out of there when I did, the flames would have engulfed her and she would have been lost,” Hunley said.

Hunley is a set painter in the film industry. He was driving back home to Wilmington from Savannah, Georgia where he is working on a project. During his drive, he noticed a motor home swerving back and forth on I-95 in South Carolina.

Investigators say the front left tire on the motor home blew out and the driver lost control.

“But he kept going,” Hunley said. “We were in the fast lane. He started to go down the grassy embankment and went right into the trees. And it was shocking to see the truck going into the trees at that speed. He had to be going at least 70, 75 miles an hour.”

The motor home quickly went up in flames. Hunley stopped as soon as he could to help.

“You would think you would be able to run up and recognize a cab of a vehicle, but you couldn’t recognize anything,” Hunley said. “It was just mangled metal on fire.”

With sparks flying everywhere, Hunley managed to get to the burning vehicle.

“She saw me and locked eyes with me,” Hunley said. “And at that point, you know, you can’t leave the poor woman to die. You have to do what you can to help her.”

Hunley helped a 40-year-old woman out of the passenger seat of the motor home. But it was not easy, Hunley fell twice trying to get away from the fiery wreck.

“I was trying to pick her back up but she was very slippery from the blood and the burns,” Hunley said.

While carrying her up a hill, Hunley got help from two other good samaritans and was able to get the woman to safety.

Hunley looked back to see if he could help the driver, the woman’s husband, but it was too late.

“I couldn’t even recognize or fathom where a driver would’ve been in that wreckage,” Hunley said.

“I know it keeps bothering him that he wasn’t able to save the driver, but we know that unfortunately he did the best that he could,” Hunley’s wife, Susan said.

When Susan first heard the news, she could not believe it but was not shocked by his actions.

“I’m not surprised that he did it. I’m just excited for him that he was at the right place at the right time for that woman,” Susan said. “That’s his nature, that’s the way he is. He would do something any time for anybody.”

The Florida woman Hunley saved was air lifted to the Augusta burn center in Georgia. According to the Colleton County Fire-Rescue, she is suffering from third degree burns on more than 30 percent of her body.

The Hunley’s wish her a speedy recovery.

As for Tim, he said life is too short not to be with his family. He hopes to move back to Wilmington permanently.