Former NFL player Glenn Cadrez, a member of the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl championship teams, acted heroically on the evening of August 23, 2023, when he rescued a man from a burning car after a serious accident on Interstate 15 in California. The incident occurred shortly after 21:30 while Cadrez was driving home from a pizza party following a Pop Warner game featuring his son, Kannon, who is 14 years old.
As Cadrez approached his exit, he noticed a cloud of dust in the northbound lanes. Moments later, a black BMW M4 crashed through a concrete divider, colliding head-on with an oncoming vehicle. “It happened so quick. I was like, ‘What the (heck) was that?’ Then it slammed into the car, maybe two seconds in front of me,” Cadrez recounted from his home in Temecula.
Cadrez, who was driving in the middle lane at a reduced speed, swerved to avoid the wreck and jumped out of his truck to assist. He observed a man hunched over outside a Nissan Sentra, which had been struck in the collision. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the burning BMW. Upon opening the door, he was engulfed in smoke and flames, which made visibility extremely limited.
“I couldn’t see really anything in the car, not even the passenger seat, just the silhouette of the driver. I grabbed and felt his body and began pulling him out,” Cadrez explained. The driver had sustained serious injuries, including a compound fracture in his leg. Cadrez managed to pull him to safety just moments before the car became fully engulfed in flames.
The driver of the BMW, a 25-year-old man, survived but sustained major injuries. Tragically, three other passengers in the vehicle—a 23-year-old woman, a 14-year-old boy, and a 15-year-old girl—lost their lives in the crash. The California Highway Patrol confirmed that the driver of the Nissan Sentra also died as a result of the incident.
Cadrez described the emotional impact of the event, particularly the devastating loss of life. “It was really hard to hear that. Those are the ages of my sons. It’s so sad,” he said, reflecting on the tragedy. His thoughts raced as he arrived at the scene and began yelling for anyone else who might be inside the burning vehicle, but he heard no responses. “Maybe I couldn’t have saved them. But I wish I could have done more to help. It hurts.”
In the days following the crash, Cadrez experienced sleepless nights, grappling with the weight of the events. Despite the trauma, he emphasized his motivation for acting. “I have got kids. Everything I do is with them in mind. I would like to think if they were in trouble, someone would help them,” he stated. His instinct to help drove him to act without hesitation, even as the flames threatened to escalate. “I just wish I could have been there maybe a few seconds sooner. It just torched so fast. The heat was unbelievable. I thought it was going to blow.”
Cadrez, aged 55, was an integral part of the Broncos’ successful seasons in 1997 and 1998, serving as a linebacker and special teams member. Former teammates praised his character and bravery in the aftermath of the incident. “Glenn was an absolute rock star teammate,” said Howard Griffith, a former Broncos fullback. “He showed us what it means to be tough and committed.”
After the event, Cadrez reached out to Hall of Famer Steve Atwater, who remarked, “He saved a young man’s life! Glenn was an awesome teammate, a great player.” The messages Cadrez received from former teammates reflected a shared admiration for his selfless actions. “He knew every position on our defense,” noted Alfred Williams, a former edge rusher. “He is a great dude.”
Cadrez humbly dismissed the notion of being a hero. “I was there at the right time to do something. That’s it. There wasn’t really a thought process,” he remarked. Despite the chaos of that night, he remains committed to his family and the values he instills in them. He proudly displays a Broncos flag outside his home on game days and intends to attend an alumni function in Denver this season.
While Cadrez does not view himself as a hero, his actions on that fateful night reflect a profound commitment to helping others in need, embodying the spirit of camaraderie and bravery that he displayed on the football field.
