June 18, 2012

3:59 pm

At 2:13 am on Sunday, June 17th, 911 dispatchers received several calls regarding a rollover accident on NW Burnside and NW Uptown Terrace. According to witness reports, a vehicle spun out of control, landed on its side, and caught fire.

A nearby resident heard the crash and went to see if he could help. Witnesses say that he called 911 first and then approached the vehicle. He found two victims unconscious and trapped inside the heavily damaged vehicle. A female was in the passenger seat and a male behind the wheel, both wearing their seat belts. He unbuckled the woman's seat belt and carried her away from the vehicle to safety. She regained consciousness and he assured her that help was on the way.

He then returned to the vehicle to help the driver. By this time flames were inside the vehicle and beginning to burn the trapped man's feet. He regained consciousness and was able to climb from the vehicle. The driver was then led over to where the female passenger was and the Good Samaritan began treating them both. The vehicle was fully engulfed by flames at this point.

When Portland Firefighters arrived on scene they began extinguishing the blaze and firefighter/paramedics assessed the patients. Both were transported to the hospital.  Portland Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Don Russ said, "Without this citizen's heroic action both individuals would likely have died before help arrived. The condition that we found the vehicle in was not survivable."