US man who rescued runaway pushchair says he did it 'instinctively'

A US man who saved a baby boy in a runaway pram from almost-certain death has said he "just did it instinctively".

Ron Nessman, 52, has been branded a "hero" after a video circulated online showing him catching the youngster's pram just seconds before it rolled onto a busy road.

Mr Nessman, who had just exited an interview for an Applebee’s restaurant in California, was waiting on a bench by a car wash with his sister when he saw a woman in her 60s fall on the concrete while trying to catch the pram.

Speaking to Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Monday, he said: "I just instinctively ran after it, and it's a good thing I did as the wind was really pushing it."

In dramatic CCTV footage of the rescue, Mr Nessman is seen sprinting across the car park and stopping the pushchair from going onto the road where cars can reach speeds of up to 40mph.

Ron Nessman spoke to Susanna Reid and Ed Balls live on ITV's Good Morning Britain

The baby's great aunt, who fell as she tried to stop the runaway pram, was helped to her feet by another man and seen hugging Mr Nessman as he returned the buggy.

During the live interview co-host Ed Balls commented: "If you had been a split second slower, if you had hesitated...the most terrible accident would have happened."

When asked if he ever worries about what would have happened if he hadn't been fast enough, Mr Nessman said "No, I knew I could get it."

"I may be 52 years old but I've still got wheels," he joked.

"What I do think about now is when that child grows up and watches the video, if he is going to want to meet me. That would be really cool."

The former lorry driver told reporters that he became homeless after suffering heartbreak when his girlfriend died suddenly in 2018, and had just recently moved to the local area, Hesperia, to reconnect with his family.

After the video was viewed by millions online, Ron was offered several jobs - including the position he interviewed for at Applebee's before his heroic rescue.

He said people now approach him on the street and congratulate him after recognising him from the video.

Many have even offered him money, but he said he will always refuse.

"I've got a job now and I will make my own money," Mr Nessman said.

"But I want to thank everybody for their kind comments on the internet. People are genuinely nice and it's really cool to see.

"I know the stardom is not going to last but it is going to be something that I am going to carry with me forever. I think of myself differently now," he added.

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