It’s easy to zone out when you’re driving down a familiar street. But staying vigilant is incredibly important, as you never know when another driver or pedestrian is going to cut in front of your path. If you’re not paying attention, the results can be deadly. Thankfully for a driver in Melbourne, Australia, his quick reflexes and vigilance saved a girl’s life.

On April 20th, 2023, Muhammad Danish was out for a drive. He had his dashboard camera turned on, which recorded the view from outside his windshield as he turned down a narrow residential street in Brunswick East. The street was lined with parked cars on either side, making it difficult to see if there were any pedestrians on the sidewalk.

As any driver knows, limited visibility in a residential neighborhood is never good. Even when little kids are warned of the dangers of the road, they can still dart out from behind parked cars at any moment. In this case, that’s exactly what happened.

Out of nowhere, a young girl ran out in the middle of the road right in front of Danish’s car. Thankfully, Danish was going the speed limit of 40km/h, which is roughly 25mph. He was also paying close attention, which meant he was able to slam on his breaks immediately. He wasn’t able to avoid hitting her entirely, though, and ended up knocking her to the ground. If he had been speeding or not paying attention, the girl would almost certainly have been killed.

Despite his quick actions no doubt saving the girl’s life, the video shows her father running after her in a rage. He slams his fist against the hood of Danish’s car before grabbing his daughter. He can be heard yelling at the driver while his daughter cries in the background.

“She’s all right?” asks Danish, concerned.

According to Danish, the girl’s father and neighbors immediately turned on him. They called the police, accusing Danish of driving recklessly. Without the dashcam footage, it would have been Danish’s word against theirs.

“This video evidence really saved my life because if police listened to the statements I could have been charged and (found) guilty,” said Danish.

Even though the girl wasn’t seriously injured and he did everything he could do to avoid hitting her, Danish was still traumatized by the incident. “It was very hard for me for three or four days,” said Danish. “I couldn’t do anything. It kept replaying in my mind and my mind was just simulating the situation 100 different ways.”

The footage was posted on DashCam Owners Australia, where it quickly went viral. While some commenters believed Danish should have been driving even lower than the speed limit, most defended his actions and lauded his quick thinking.

“The Dad pounced on the car as if it was the driver’s fault. He was the one at fault,” said one commenter. “Could have been a much more serious situation, great work to the driver,” said another.

Danish was grateful for the support he received online, saying, “Even police told me it’s not my fault. I was thinking I could have done something better to not hurt that girl, but people’s messages and comments really supported me.”

According to Victoria Police, the case has been closed and no action will be taken against the driver. If not for Danish’s dashboard camera, he may have been charged with a serious crime. It’s a good reminder that while safe driving is always important, a dashboard camera can sometimes be just as much of a lifesaver.