New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Mitchell Loewen was simply enjoying brunch with his wife and young child on Sunday afternoon when family time was interrupted by a car crashing down four floors from a downtown parking garage.
The 25-year-old Loewen helped lead a group of bystanders to aid a man trapped in the car that hurtled from the garage in the New Orleans Central Business District.
"There were a bunch of people standing around, but not approaching the car and I was like 'What's up, let's help this guy,'" Loewen told The Times-Picayune on Monday. "I mean, obviously there was someone in there, I wasn't going to just stand by and watch. It was a life or death situation."
According to the Times-Picayune, the vehicle -- a silver Mercedes Benz SUV -- landed on its roof. Loewen and others flipped over the car and help the trapped man out.
"There was no way I could have dragged him out of that, so I called for people to come help and about 10 of us flipped the car onto its side," Loewen said.
No reason was given for the crash and police are still investigating. The man, reportedly appearing to be in his mid-20s, sustained injuries but is expected to survive, police told the Times-Picayune.
"It was like a movie. I just did what I had to do, and I wasn't thinking about anything else," Loewen said.
Loewen went undrafted out of Arkansas in 2016 before signing with the Saints. Last offseason the pass-rusher impressed, eventually earned a spot on the 53-man roster. Loewen pressed for playing time before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.
The 6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive lineman owns the versatility to play inside or on the edge. Loewen again reportedly impressed during offseason workouts and should have a chance to earn a role during training camp.
