Teen Girl Startled By Groaning Noises In Her Garage, Finds Horrifying Scene

A young woman from Vienna, Virginia, became a hero after she lifted a truck off of her father to save his life and then saved her family from a fire.

Charlotte Heffelmire, 19, rushed to her father’s aid after he was working on an old GMC truck and the jack he was using slipped.

“The minute the jack slipped, there was an almost instantaneous, real strong smell of gasoline, and then just, whoosh!” Eric Heffelmire told WRCTV. Immediately, Eric became stuck underneath the vehicle and the garage erupted in flames.

“We had a bunch of propane containers and they were cooking off — just fireballs,” he said. The father was by himself for 10 minutes before his daughter ran into the garage and lifted the truck off of him.

“I felt the weight shift, and I said, ‘You almost got it,’ and then it was just UGHHHHHHRRR, and suddenly I’m pulled out,” Eric said.

Charlotte then realized her work wasn’t done — the truck’s gas tank posed a risk and could engulf the entire house in flames at any moment. She got in the driver’s seat, and moved the truck away from the house — on its remaining three wheels.

She then grabbed a garden hose and sprayed the house down. Firefighters ultimately arrived to help, but because of Charlotte’s actions her grandmother and 3-month-old niece were able to leave the home safely.

Charlotte suffered burns to her hands and feet as well as a back injury — which ultimately prevented her from returning to the U.S. Air Force Academy, where she was studying.

“If I can’t do any of the military branches, then probably just intelligence or government work,” she said. “Right now I’m just healing up and making sure the family is OK.”

After the incident, Charlotte was given the Citizen Lifesaving Award by the Fairfax County Fire Department.

Many readers praised the young woman for jumping into action to help her father and family.

“Wow! What an awesome inspiring story!” one Mad World News reader commented on the site’s Facebook page. “God provided her with the strength of ‘mind and body’ to be able to save her Dad’s life and prevent a certain tragedy.”

“WOW!!!” another wrote. “INCREDIBLE story! Wow you are a True Miracle maker hero. God bless you forever for your courage and your blessings you gave to your whole familly!”

“What a wonderful young woman that risked everything to save her father and the rest of the family,” another added.

Sources: WRCTV, Mad World News/Facebook / Featured Image: Michael Gil/Wikimedia Commons / Embedded Images: Screenshot via WRCTV