Video: Deputies, bystander pull driver from burning car wreck in Palmdale
Three deputies and a bystander rescued an unconscious man who was trapped in a burning luxury car Thursday after crashing into a block wall in Palmdale, authorities said.
Video shows the deputies dragging the Palmdale man from his wrecked Mercedes Benz CLK-500 as flames and smoke sweep toward them.
The 28-year-old driver had crashed into a block wall about 1:15 a.m. at 20th Street East and Avenue R-8, according to sheriff’s Lt. Brian Dunn.
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Deputy Jonathan Schnerenger arrived at the crash to find an unconscious man slumped behind the wheel. The passenger was awake, but Schnerenger asked him to stay seated until paramedics arrived.
Suddenly, smoke started billowing out from under the Mercedes’ wheel well and flames erupted.
The passenger quickly climbed out of the car, but the driver was still unconscious and his door wouldn’t open.
Deputies Jeremy Carlisle and Zack Marshall arrived and tried to open the door. But by that time, flames had completely swept through the car’s interior.
The deputies tried to pull the man out, but his feet and legs were trapped under the dashboard. Carlisle was able to loosen his feet. The deputies and the bystander pulled the man through the driver’s shattered window.
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The driver suffered a ruptured spleen, bruises to his head, and cuts to his feet and legs. Air had also entered his chest cavity, authorities said. He was taken to an area hospital, where he is listed in stable condition, Dunn said.
The passenger suffered minor injuries.
It is unclear whether alcohol was a factor in the crash, police said.
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