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Mesa Fire officials and Medical recognize good Samaritans who rescued woman from burning car along US 60

By and
Updated  February 26, 2025 5:43pm MST
Mesa
FOX 10 Phoenix

Mesa honors 2 people who saved woman from car fire

The Brief

    • Mesa Fire & Medical Department honored two people for helping to rescue a woman from her burning car on Feb. 18.
    • The crash happened on US 60, near Greenfield.
    • The rescue was captured on video.

MESA, Ariz. - Two people who helped save a woman from a burning car along U.S. 60 on Feb. 18 were recognized for their lifesaving deed on Feb. 26.

What we know:

The two people, Chandler Police officer Brian Larison and Peoria firefighter Asa Paguia, were presented with certificates at an appreciation recognition event that took place in Mesa on the morning of Feb. 26.

"I'm a man of faith, and I truly believe we were there for a purpose," said Officer Larison.

The woman Officer Larison and Paguia rescued, Aymee Ruiz, was also at the event.

"You guys are so supportive, and I've gotten nothing but love and support from all you guys, and I feel like I made another family, and it feels so good," said Ruiz.

Rescue captured on video

(Related Video) Officer's heroic efforts save woman from burning car

Helmet camera footage shows the dramatic rescue of a woman from a burning car after it was involved in a crash with a cement truck in Mesa.

The backstory:

The crash that prompted the rescue happened near US 60 and Greenfield at around 7 a.m. on Feb. 18. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a cement mixer rear-ended the pickup truck, causing it to catch fire.

Following the crash, Larison and Paguia broke the truck's window, and pulled the woman, identified as Aymee Ruiz, to safety.

"In the video, it was really cool to see how quickly the officer was on scene, and how quickly bystanders were there," said Paguia on Feb. 26. "We all were trying to make a difference, and I think it's really cool to see in this world there's good people out there, you know, people in the Valley wanting to help others."

Chandler Police say the cement truck driver, a 42-year-old Arizona City man, was cited for failing to control the vehicle to avoid a collision.

The Source

  • Information for this article was gathered from a statement issued by the Mesa Fire & Rescue Department, with supplemental information gathered from a FOX 10 report published on Feb. 21, 2025.

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