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DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Among the victims caught in the middle of a burning inferno that shut down I-95 in Delray Beach this week was Bryan Aparicio and his girlfriend Su.

Colleagues say Aparicio is a firefighter with Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, assigned to Station 10 at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.

“This vehicle incident occurred very rapidly for Bryan, before he knew it there was heat and flames and smoke everywhere,” said Jason Smith, President, B.C.P.F.A.P.A., Int’l Assoc. Of Firefighters. “There was no time to think.”

Pure instincts moved Aparicio to sacrifice his own wellbeing to save his girlfriend’s life.

“He moved based upon who he is. He’s a selfless individual who would give himself and he gave himself at that moment,” said Smith. “He absolutely endured very significant second degree and third degree burns.”

11 p.m. report:

The couple was in an Uber riding northbound on I-95 when another car veered into the path of a fuel tanker, causing that tanker to ignite and overturn. The couple’s Uber was caught in the mess.

Columns of black smoke could be seen for miles as burning fuel spread across the highway. The impact caused light pole to fall onto two vehicles that were traveling in the southbound lanes.

Five people were rushed to the hospital with critical injuries. That included Su, who suffered burns on her legs and hands, and Apricio, with burns on his face, head and arms.

“I don’t know if he truly knows how lucky he was,” said Smith.

A GoFundMe page was set up for Aparicio and Su, and it can be found by clicking here.