WHEATLAND, Wis. — A Bristol man is being hailed as a hero after pulling a young woman from a burning vehicle in a violent head-on crash Saturday morning, a moment he says he didn’t hesitate to act—even as flames engulfed the car and the risk to his own life became undeniable.

As previously reported, the crash happened around 10:07 a.m. on May 2 in the 5700 block of State Highway 83 and left multiple people critically injured, with two patients airlifted to a Milwaukee hospital. Emergency crews arrived to find a chaotic scene, including one vehicle fully engulfed in flames and another with a patient trapped inside for nearly an hour.

But before first responders arrived, 57-year-old Tom Nevala of Bristol was already inside one of those burning vehicles.

Nevala, a lifelong Kenosha-area resident and union electrician, said he didn’t witness the crash itself. He and his wife, Gale, were driving toward Burlington when they saw smoke rising from the roadway.

Within moments, he was running toward the wreckage.

“I already knew if I ever pulled up to an accident, I’m going to help and not stand around,” Nevala said.

He reached a silver vehicle in the middle of the road and climbed into the back seat, the only accessible door. Inside, a young woman—believed to be around 20 years old—was trapped, twisted and in obvious pain, pleading for help.

At first, Nevala hesitated to move her, concerned about worsening her injuries. But within minutes, the situation changed dramatically.

Flames began to spread.

“I could see the fire coming up through the front of the car,” he said.

Then the young woman told him something that forced a split-second decision.

“She said her legs were burning,” Nevala recalled.

That was it.

Nevala reached across the seats, grabbed her by the waistband and under the arm, and pulled her out through the back door, dragging her to safety just seconds before the vehicle became fully engulfed.

Moments later, the entire car was consumed by flames.

His wife, Gale Nevala, said there was no doubt what would have happened if he hadn’t acted.

“She would have had zero chance,” Gale said.

“She could not get herself out and someone had to get her out.”

Despite the obvious danger—including the possibility of an explosion—dispatch audio from the scene shows just how close that risk was to becoming reality. Deputies reported the vehicle was “on fire right in the middle of the street,” with flames intensifying and tires “popping,” and at one point warned the vehicle was “about to blow.” Even as that unfolded, Nevala made the decision to stay.

“This thing could blow up right in my face,” he said. “I don’t care.”

Nevala said he wasn’t thinking about himself in that moment—and, in fact, accepted the risk.

“I’ve lived a good life, a long life,” he said. “I’d be fine… going to my next adventure.”

The couple later learned that emergency crews took several minutes to arrive, far too long for the trapped woman to have survived without intervention. Two patients from the crash were flown to Froedtert Hospital in critical condition, while a third was taken by ambulance to Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha.

While Nevala downplays his actions, those who know him aren’t surprised.

“I would challenge you to find anyone in this city that has a bad word to say about him,” Gale said.

Nevala, who has worked as a union electrician for more than 30 years, is also well known in the local music scene as a member of the acoustic rock band Hindsight.

And this weekend, the man who risked everything to save a stranger will be back on stage.

Hindsight is scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at Bender’s Bar and Grill, 409 E. Northwater, Silver Lake, as part of a fundraiser event—giving the public a chance to meet the man many are now calling a hero in person while supporting a local cause.

“I hope people come out,” Nevala said.

They likely will—not just for the music, but to shake the hand of a man who ran toward flames when everyone else stepped back.