Danny Trejo Helped Rescue A Special Needs Child After A Car Accident In Los Angeles

Some actors are heroes on-screen and -off. Though he often plays villains, or at least anti-heroes, in real life Danny Trejo is definitely a hero. According to ABC 7 in Los Angeles (via The Hollywood Reporter), the longtime character actor, scene-stealer, and Machete series leading man — as well as taco artist — rescued a special needs child from a car accident.

The actor happened to be driving around the San Fernando section of LA on Wednesday night when he witnessed two cars colliding. One of the vehicles was overturned, and inside was a young boy, strapped into his seat, hanging upside down.

Trejo got out of his car and, with another bystander, came to the rescue. Trejo reportedly crawled inside the overturned vehicle, but was unable to undo the child’s buckle. The other bystander, a young woman, entered from the other side, was able to get the buckle loose, and the two were able to bring the endangered child to safety.

They were sadly unable to rescue the child’s grandmother, who was trapped in the driver’s seat. Firefighters were later able to remove her from the vehicle. While they did that, Trejo, who has worked with special needs children, tried his best to distract the little boy.

“He was panicked,” he told ABC 7. “I said OK we have to use our superpowers. So he screamed ‘superpowers’ and we started yelling ‘superpowers.” I said do this, with the muscles. He said ‘muscles.'” All the while he kept the boy faced away from the accident.

Three people wound up taken to the hospital as a result of the crash. However, none had life-threatening injuries. The cause of the accident is as-yet-unknown, but Trejo claimed one of the drivers had run a red light.

When interviewed by ABC 7, the actor preached the importance of doing good unto others.

“Everything good that has happened to me has happened as a direct result of helping someone else. Everything,” he told the local affiliate.