BROWNSVILLE, Texas — If everything happens for a reason, there was clearly a big reason for 29-year-old Brian Pineda to be exactly where he was on Sunday.
He was in Brownsville standing on a street corner across the street from where a driver plowed into a group of people who were waiting at a bus stop. Eight people died, but Pineda did everything he could to make sure that number wasn't higher.
Pineda spent 11 years as a firefighter in Venezuela so he knew exactly what to do when he saw the tragedy unfold in front of his own eyes. He immediately jumped into action and his actions helped save the life of at least one man. It was all caught on camera.
"Algo increíble ... algo inedito surealista diría yo," Pineda said.
He said he still can't believe what he saw.
"Oigo el motor del carro y justamente volteo y veo el impacto," he said.
He said he was standing at the corner when he heard the engine of the SUV. He said he turned around just in time to see the impact. That's when his instincts took over.
"Y la camioneta cae pero mi reacción en vez de irme fue acércame y ver que pasaba," he said.
When he saw a man who had lost a leg, he was worried the man would bleed out so he applied a tourniquet with the victim's shirt.
"Mi instinto digamos de bomberos fue el primero el compatriotia que le faltaba la pierna por que se me podía desangrar," Pineda said.
He said he heard screams from other victims and made his rounds while checking to make sure they still had a pulse.
"Empiezo hacer un análisis tomando pulso a las personas," he said.
Fortunately, paramedics arrived at the scene within minutes and started taking people to the hospital.
Gabriel Gallardo is the man who lost his leg but survived the crash. He said he remembers waiting for the bus, and the next thing he knew, he was injured. He said he was grateful that Pineda helped him. Without him, Gallardo said he doesn't think he would be alive.
Pineda said he feels lucky that he wasn't standing at the bus stop.
"Es que yo podía aver sido yo pude aver estado allí," he said.
He was lucky to be in the right place at the right time to offer help to those in need. Pineda said he hopes to keep helping people in the United States. He left Brownsville to be reunited with his family.
Gallardo remains in the hospital recovering from his injuries. He said he was still in pain but feels lucky to be alive.
What we know about the driver
George Alvarez, 34, is facing a slew of manslaughter and aggravated assault charges. He's accused of crashing his SUV into at least 18 people who were waiting at a bus stop on Sunday. Prosecutors said he ran a red light and then lost control of his vehicle. A judge set his bond at $3.6 million.
Eight people died in the crash. Three survivors were able to go home on Monday to recover while seven more were still being treated at an area hospital. Investigators said all of the victims appear to be men and most of them appear to be from Venezuela.
Investigators said they're still waiting on a toxicology report on Alvarez. They also said they were not sure if the crash was accidental or intentional.
According to authorities, Alvarez has a lengthy criminal history and is a Brownsville native. They said he tried to run from the scene but witnesses were able to hold him down as they waited for police to show up.
Brownsville has seen a surge of Venezuelan migrants over the last two weeks for unclear reasons, according to local authorities. On Thursday, 4,000 of about 6,000 migrants in Border Patrol custody in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley were Venezuelan. The surge in the number of migrants this week has prompted Brownsville commissioners to indefinitely extend a declaration of emergency.