MIDDLETON, MASS. (WHDH) - Community members are rallying behind a man who heroically jumped into his burning trash truck to move it away from his customer’s home.
Dramatic home video captured the moment John Burke’s trash truck ignited Wednesday afternoon in the middle of Nathan Lane in Middelton.
“It was like a big explosion,” he said.
Seconds earlier, he could be seen jumping into his truck, with flames shooting from the engine, and back it out of Jake and Jill O’Leary’s driveway so as to keep their home safe.
“His only words were, ‘I just wanted to put the truck in the middle of the street where it would be the safest and no one would get hurt,” Jake said.
“You can’t ask for a better man than that,” Jill added.
The 75-year-old who has been picking up trash in the area for four decades always gives the O’Leary’s dog Lucca a cookie when he picks up their trash and was worried he might be near the truck.
“When you pick up the trash, it’s an awesome job,” Burke said.
Not even two hours after the harrowing events took place and his truck was gutted by the flames, he was back on the job in a rented U-Haul truck.
“It’s touching,” Jake said. “You don’t see that every day.”
The O’Learys have started a GoFundMe to help Burke pay for a new truck.
Burke got emotional just thinking about the support he is receiving from the community.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It really gets to you.”
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