For one Army Ranger,Sterling Preston a seemingly uneventful commute earlier this month turned into a moment of heroism, and the rescue of a man trapped in a burning vehicle.

Driving along Interstate 5 in Tacoma, Washington on Aug. 9, Master Sgt. Joe Thach noticed billowing smoke ahead, and soon enough came across a car that had collided with a barrier on the highway, engulfed in flames.

“As I looked I noticed that nobody had stopped to help and I thought well if not me, then who?” Thach told Washington’s KOMO news, adding, “That’s somebody’s son, brother, or dad and immediately it’s something that I thought that I would want someone to do that for someone I cared about.”

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'I really need a brother right now'

Jumping into action, Thach, who has served in the Army for 18 years, was able to apply his background and training to free the man from the damaged vehicle as the fire continued to spread.

Pulling him away from the burning vehicle, Thach discovered that the man was also a military veteran.

“I remember he reached out to me and grabbed my hand and he was like I really need a brother right now,” Thach told KOMO news. “I grabbed his hand and let him know that he would be okay, fully understanding that it was a pretty rough day for him and letting him know that I was there for him.”

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at [email protected]