Lexington Couple Saves 2 Children From Burning Car

A Lexington couple said they were at the right place at the right time. A car crashed on their street then burst into flames. 

Dennise and Ronnie Rollings sprang into action following a car accident right in front of their home. 

“It looked like a trailer had flipped originally, so I looked at my husband and I said, 'I think there's been an accident,’” Dennise Rollings said. 

“When I looked up that's when I saw the telephone pole snaped over and a cloud of dust,” Ronnie Rollings said. 

In the smoking car there was a family of three. There was a mom who was able to get out, but her two toddlers were stuck inside. 

“A UPS driver had stopped and I handed the first child off to him. The second child was in a car seat hanging upside down, so I had to push the child up, get inside the vehicle halfway and push the child up to get it untangled to get it out of the vehicle,” Ronnie Rollings said. 

Seconds after getting the children out Rollings said the car was totally engulfed in flames.  

“I was in the fire department for 21 years. So, I think this training kicked in and instincts kicked in. I'm thankful that we were home that day,” Ronnie Rollings said. 

Pieces of the car are still on Moffatt Road. The Rollings said the intersection by their home causes a lot of accidents. 

“People just haul down that road. It's horrible, you can hardly see,” Dennise Rollings said. 

Lexington Fire Department and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office responded. 

“These things are fast evolving and they can turn tragic in seconds. That's all you have is seconds. When you have this type of situation, he didn't hesitate. In my opinion these children are alive today because of his actions,” Sheriff Chris Amason said. 

There is an arrest warrant out for the driver. The sheriff said additional charges could be added as they look into what caused the crash, but the woman did not have a driver's license.