Hero saves driver from car hanging off cliff

LEWISTON, Idaho -- A quick-thinking good Samaritan is being called a hero for rescuing a man from a crash that left his car leaning precariously over the edge of a cliff.

The good Samaritan was photographed pulling the driver, Mathew Sitko, from the window of his 2000 GMC Yukon. The vehicle was dangling off a 30-foot drop above a canyon road, according to ABC News. A wrecked chain link fence was the only thing keeping Sitkon's SUV from falling off the cliff.

At the time of the accident, Lewiston police witnessed the man pulling off the daring rescue, but never got his name. He simply told police he had to go and left.

Police later identified the hero as 29-year-old Jason Warnock after his photo surfaced in local newspapers, according to a press release.

Warnock told officers that he had observed debris in the roadway while driving and noticed the SUV hanging precariously above the cliff. Warnock said he ran up to the pedestrian foot bridge, climbed up above the cliff face, then traversed the embankment to access the vehicle.

Warnock said he attempted to break the passenger window with his Leatherman multi-tool, but was unable to. At that time, he was able to calm Sitko enough to have him roll down the window so he could pull him out to safety. Warnock said he was working at the time and was not able to remain at the scene after officers arrived. He said he was also trying to avoid attention.

The Lewiston police thanked Warnock for his actions in saving Sitko.