A video shows good Samaritans risking their own lives to save a stranger who was trapped in a flaming car after the driver crashed into a guardrail on I-94 near St. Paul, Minnesota, last week.
Kadir Tolla, the first bystander to stop and render aid, captured the footage of last week’s rescue on his dash camera. The dramatic video, first shared by FOX9 Minneapolis, shows the incredible effort of the good Samaritans.
In the video, a car can be seen crashed against the guardrail on I-94 near St. Paul, Minnesota. The driver, who was identified by CBS News as Sam Orbovich, was unable to open his car door due to the position of the guardrail. As a result, the driver was trapped in the vehicle as flames engulfed the front of the vehicle and began spreading.
According to FOX9 Minneapolis, Tolla was driving to meet clients when he saw the crash. “I saw a car on fire,” Tolla said. “Then I said somebody is probably in there.” Tolla then stopped his own car and ran towards the flaming vehicle.
Tolla explained that when he reached the vehicle, the driver was conscious and asking for help. Tolla tried to open the door and break the car windows in a desperate attempt to save the driver.
“That could be me one day,” Tolla said. “What would happen if I was in that situation and my life was in the hands of strangers that I didn’t even know?”
Several other motorists stopped to help Tolla, and multiple people were recorded pulling the door at once in an attempt to open the door. The crowd attracted the attention of Dave Klepaida, a Minneapolis Department of Transportation employee. Klepaida stopped to assist the rescue effort and broke the window with a special tool.
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“Get him out. It was the only thing going through my head,” Klepaida told CBS News. “To me, it’s just doing my job. Everyone stepped up and just did it. It wasn’t training, it was just being in the right place at the right time,” he said.
The driver was pulled from the car just as the flames began to enter the car interior, allowing the driver to avoid serious injury. He was transported to a local hospital for evaluation; however, further details on his condition have not been released.
Responding firefighters were able to extinguish the fire at the crash before it spread to surrounding areas, according to FOX9 Minneapolis.
First responders recommend that all drivers carry tools specially designed to break car windows in their vehicles, according to CBS News. Specially designed tools, such as the one Klepaida used, are typically available at most major retailers and automotive supply stores for under $20.
