Teslacam captured video of numerous bystanders heroically rescuing a driver from a crashed gas car that was on fire on the side of the highway near St. Paul Minnesota.
It's unknown what caused the crash but the video shows a gas SUV on the side of the highway engulfed in flames. The video begins when a Tesla arrives on the scene. At that point in time, just one bystander is trying to rescue the driver but the situation quickly changes as more and more passersby stop to help out.
Get Fully Charged
How TeslaCam works
TeslaCam's Dashcam feature records video of a vehicle's surroundings while driving, and can be used to record notable events or driving incidents. Tesla is also hinging much of its autonomous car plans on camera-based technology, instead of sensors like LIDAR.
The rescue effort was hindered by the guardrail, which wouldn't allow the doors to open fully. The effort to open the doors is intense though and the guardrail flexes considerably but still not enough to allow for the driver of the burning car to exit.
The driver of the Tesla that captured this video grabbed some debris from the wreckage and attempted to use it to break the driver's front window. That effort failed but then a Minnesota Department of Transportation worker arrived and broke the window but not before a small explosion sent the rescuers backward from the fiery wreckage for a bit.
After the window was smashed, the driver could put his feet out through the opening. He is then dragged out by multiple rescuers who wisely put some distance between themselves and the fiery car.
Thankfully, Inside Edition says that the driver was taken to the hospital with only minor injuries. No other injuries were reported.
The driver considers those who stopped to help him as "highway heroes." It's probably safe to say that without the help of the good samaritans, the driver wouldn't have escaped from the fiery car.
The rescued driver later issued this statement:
I am alive today because several Good Samaritans and professional first responders saved my life. Fred Rogers used to say that whenever someone sees something scary, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.
On Thursday evening several drivers along I-94 in St. Paul pulled over, ran from their cars, and tried to free me as my car was bursting into flames along the berm of the freeway. My airbag deployed after my car hit a lamp post and guardrail. I came to just before a Highway Helper broke open my window and everyone pulled me to safety. I survived with only minor superficial injuries.
