'Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo': How Machete became a real-life hero and saved a baby from a car crash
We've seen action stars do impossible things on the screen so many times. But it's always impressive when we see them do it in real life. Legendary actor Danny Trejo, also known by his popular nickname Machete, had one such moment in 2019 when he saved a baby from an overturned car. Here's how that went down:
It was a Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, back in August 2019, when Trejo happened to witness an accident in which two vehicles crashed into each other, causing one to roll over. The overturned vehicle happened to have a baby strapped to a car seat and the child was trapped inside the crashed automobile. According to CNN, Trejo tried to crawl in through a broken window to save the child but he couldn't get the seat belt unhooked. He then took the help of another bystander, Monica Jackson, and together, they were able to free the baby.
"The only thing that saved the little kid was his car seat," Trejo reportedly told a photographer who was on the scene. Three people were taken to a hospital from the scene of the crash, the Los Angeles Fire Department told CNN affiliate KABC. Thankfully, none of the victims' injuries were life-threatening.
The story might have been a lot more tragic if it wasn't for Trejo. The actor, who was 75 at the time, has dedicated himself to helping other people, and that's something that has helped him overcome his past as an ex-con and drug addict to become the star he is today. "Everything good that has happened to me has happened as a direct result of helping someone else," Trejo told KABC. "Everything."
Trejo's journey from convict to movie star is the subject of a new documentary called 'Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo'. Directed by Brett Harvey, the feature-length documentary has appearances by Michelle Rodriguez, Robert Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, and many more including Trejo himself. Catch the full inspirational story of Trejo's life in 'Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo', scheduled for release on Digital HD on July 7.