Passerby pulls driver out of burning car on I-370

Friday, Nov. 23, 2007

Passerby pulls driver out of burning car on I-370

by Meghan Tierney | Staff writer

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A man was rescued by a passing motorist Friday afternoon after his car careened off of Interstate 370, struck a parked tractor and burst into flames, according to a statement from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services.

The man, who was driving west on I-370 in a BMW sedan, ran off the road around 1:30 p.m., fire officials said.

The car struck a grass-cutting tractor, which was unoccupied, and caught fire, according to John McDonough, a spokesman for Maryland State Police. Grass and brush also caught fire, and both the car and the tractor were completely burned and crushed, according to fire officials.

The victim, who has not been identified, was taken to a trauma center as a priority one patient, fire officials said.

No one else was injured, McDonough said.

Police were preparing to reopen the westbound lanes of 370 at 2:30 p.m. Friday, he said, and the fires had been extinguished.

The cause of crash is being investigated, McDonough said.