SAN DIEGO — Good Samaritans came to the rescue of a man trapped in a burning vehicle Friday in the Mission Valley area, authorities said.
The fire occurred around 3:30 p.m. in front of The Legacy International Center, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD).
Video obtained by FOX 5 shows several people gathered around a car that is spewing white smoke.
One of the good Samaritans told FOX 5 that he and about two other men pulled over after seeing a car in flames. That’s when they realized there was a person stuck in the vehicle, the good Samaritan said.
The video shows the good Samaritans begin to try and open the doors, but fail to do so. That’s when two men attempt to smash the windows of the vehicle with metal objects. The man, seated in the driver’s seat, can be seen struggling to escape from the burning vehicle.
Another person who had a wrench was able to break the back window of the car to access the man in the vehicle, but they were unable to open the driver’s side door, according to one of the good Samaritans. The good Samaritan was able to unlock the driver’s side door through the back window.
The two men can be seen pulling the victim out of the vehicle who appeared shaken from the incident. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, per SDFD.
It is unknown how the fire started and if the man inside the vehicle was the driver.
First responders were able to extinguish the fully engulfed vehicle.