IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — A fiery crash in Ionia County last Thursday left three injured. Fortunately, everyone is safe.

At the time of the accident, the occupants of the car included the adult male driver, a nine-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. The hero — the nine-year-old himself, Phillip Clark.

Phillip was sleeping in the back seat next to his three-year-old half-sister Ayla. “Ayla started crying when she realized I’d been in a car accident and my heart dropped when I heard her cry,” Phillip said.

Within moments, the car crashed into a tree and immediately burst into flames.

The man driving the car was Ayla’s father. He broke his leg on impact, leaving him unable to save his daughter. Phillip was also hurt, but he knew what he had to do. “I climbed Ayla, got her out of the car, got her to safety and then watched the car burn a little bit,” Phillip said.

Despite Phillip’s injuries, he determined that Ayla’s life was more important than his own. “If we didn’t get out of there, we would have been burned,” Phillip said.

Two good Samaritans helped pull Ayla’s father out of the car before it burned to the ground.

Ayla’s mother, Alexandria, is forever grateful to Phillip. “I honestly owe that kid my whole life because he saved my kid,” Alexandria said.

When Alexandria first arrived on the scene, she didn’t know if she would ever see her daughter again. “Once I saw the car, the only thing going through my mind is my baby is dead… there’s no way my baby is going to get out,” Alexandria said.

Phillip spent several days in hospital, requiring surgery. “I had a perforated bowel,” Phillip said. “I have a scar that goes from my waist to just above my belly button.”

Phillip is recovering from surgery at home, and Ayla’s father, who broke his femur, is recovering with him.

Watch FOX 17: Facebook – X (formerly Twitter) – Instagram – YouTube