Commuter stops to help woman, dog after car erupts in flames on Tacoma Narrows bridge
Joseph Jazwiec, 34, was on his way to work in Gig Harbor on Wednesday morning, Aug. 30, when he noticed a car smoking on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and a woman screaming inside it.
The car had caught on fire on westbound state Route 16.
Jazwiec said while other cars drove by, he decided to pull over to see what he could do to help.
“When I pulled up, the lady was jumping out of the car screaming for her dog. So I jumped out and ran up to the vehicle just as she was getting the dog out, and the dog was trying to run away, and this is on the bridge,” he said.
Jazwiec said he “bear hugged” the dog, named Petunia, to make sure it did not run off on the bridge and asked the woman if anyone else was in the car. When she said no, he made sure they were away from the car and put the dog in his truck.
Jazwiec said he made sure the woman was OK, and they waited for police and the fire department to arrive.
He said the woman told him that before the car caught fire, the brakes were not working as she was driving toward Gig Harbor. After she passed the exit she wanted to take, flames erupted in the car and it came to a rolling stop on the bridge.
“She wasn’t sure on what the cause was. It was really scary for her because the vehicle’s brakes weren’t working, the car was on fire,” Jazwiec said. “It’s probably a very traumatic situation for not knowing what’s gonna happen, especially if you can’t stop the vehicle and it’s on fire.”
After emergency services came, the woman was treated for smoke inhalation. Once Jazwiec knew she was OK and transported to the hospital, he left to go to his job with Legacy Telecommunications .
“I was just doing what anyone else would do,” he said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation on Aug. 30, according to the Tacoma Fire Department.
This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 4:24 PM.
