{"id":14421,"date":"2016-09-19T15:52:29","date_gmt":"2016-09-19T15:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=14421"},"modified":"2016-09-19T15:52:29","modified_gmt":"2016-09-19T15:52:29","slug":"good-samaritan-firefighter-rescue-driver-from-burning-car-in-north-haven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=14421","title":{"rendered":"Good Samaritan, firefighter rescue driver from burning car in North Haven"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watch the report HERE\u203a\u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

NORTH HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH<\/a>)\u2013 A Good Samaritan and a volunteer firefighter rescued a driver from a burning car on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in North Haven<\/a>Sunday morning.<\/p>\n

Police say two men were traveling on Route 15\u00a0northbound\u00a0around 6:30 a.m. when their car crashed into a tree and caught fire by exit 63. The driver was trapped inside the burning vehicle.<\/p>\n

News 8 spoke exclusively with Caleb Rhodes, the Good Samaritan who helped rescue the driver. Rhodes was driving home from working an overnight shift when he saw the car on fire. He helped get a passenger out of the car, but then realized the driver was still inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guy was going to die. There was no doubt about it, the car was going to blow up,\u201d said Rhodes. \u201cI\u2019ve seen plenty of movies where it\u2019s going to happen. You could hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhodes says there was a crowd of people nearby and the flames were getting bigger and bigger.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone just backed up, people were saying get away, get away, it\u2019s going to blow up,\u201d said Rhodes. \u201cI knew the guy was going to die no matter what if we left.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Rhodes didn\u2019t leave. He and Jared Pelletier, a South Windsor volunteer firefighter who also stopped by to help, pulled the driver out. He was unconscious and bleeding. After they got him outside they pulled him away from the burning car.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I looked back and he was on the ground the car was engulfed and it just went boom!\u201d said Rhodes.<\/p>\n

First responders arrived shortly afterward. Rhodes says it was very hectic. Though he has no training, his instinct was to run to help.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking ever since today I\u2019d want to do some paramedic training,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Police have identified the driver as Sandeep Ahuja of Manchester. He and the passenger were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital and they\u2019re expected to be okay. Rhodes says he\u2019d be interested in meeting Ahuja one day.<\/p>\n

Officials are still investigating the cause of the crash.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"