On Sept. 13, at noon, as my sister and I were returning from shopping, we had just turned into our driveway when we observed a van pull over outside our house. In seconds, we could see smoke pouring out of the van and, in what seemed to be only seconds more, flames were pouring out from everywhere in the van and shooting out as high as 10 feet in the air.

For the first time in our lives, we observed an act of of true courage and valor when a young man pulled up in front of the burning van and quickly went about trying and finally succeeding in pulling the driver out of the vehicle and dragging him away from the fire.

The driver’s clothes were on fire and those of us who saw the burning vehicle were afraid it would explode any minute.

We commend Mr. Carl Hallock for his courage in what was surely risking his life to rescue a complete stranger when it could have taken both their lives. The heat from that fire could be felt inside our house.

Congratulations to a brave man who performed a true act of charity. We feel privileged to have seen it.

Helen Sylvain, Lewiston