A quick-thinking 22-year-old McDonald’s employee sprung into action and jumped out of the drive-thru window after witnessing an emergency situation unfolding in the parking lot.
Pedro Viloria was working the breakfast shift at McDonald’s in Doral, Florida when a normal day turned into a life-or-death situation.
A drive-thru customer had just placed her order and paid without any issue, but as her car came up to his window to collect her food with her two children in the backseat, Viloria could see that something was wrong.
As the vehicle approached his window, it didn’t stop, continuing to roll through the parking lot.
That’s when Viloria heard the woman’s children crying and pleading with their mom.
“Her kids were (in the back) screaming, ‘Mother, mother stop it! What are you doing?’” the McDonald’s worker recalled.
While the car continued to roll forward, it became clear to Viloria that the woman no longer had control.
She was making jerking movements, which had apparently caused her foot to move off of the brake pedal, her respiration was abnormal, and her kids were obviously terrified.
Viloria knew he had to do something, so he wasted no time.
The McDonald’s worker jumped through the tiny drive-thru window and rushed to help the woman and her children.
A camera inside the restaurant captured the moment.
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“I thought if these kids lose their mother today, it would have been tragic” Viloria said.
“If I would have had to die to save that woman, I would have done it. My brain was on hero mode,.
“I ran as fast as I could, put myself in front of the car.”
While trying to help the woman, Viloria told the children to call 911. Meanwhile, an off-duty firefighter was walking into that same McDonald’s.
Upon witnessing the commotion in the parking lot, the firefighter and his partner rushed to help save the woman. Soon, fire rescue was on the scene.
“When I looked back there was all these rescue workers,” Viloria said.
“I was with the kids — I was trying to tell them it will be all right, the kids were breaking my soul.”
Later, it was revealed that the woman Viloria saved was an off-duty Miami-Dade police officer.
McDonald’s released a statement applauding Viloria’s actions:
“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the officer and her family during this difficult time.
“I think I speak for our McDonald’s family when I say how proud we are of Pedro.
“He is an excellent employee, so it didn’t surprise me that he took immediate action and jumped through a window to help save this woman.
“And he was not the only member of the team that played a pivotal role in ensuring she received the medical attention she needed.
“A second employee, who asked to remain unnamed, assisted with CPR.
“Their quick thinking and action were everything in that moment.”
