MIAMI (WSVN) - A South Florida driver was killed after he smashed into a utility pole in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, triggering a chain of events that led to car fires, power outages and a rescue effort by complete strangers.
City of Miami Police and Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the crash near Northwest First Avenue and 20th Street, at around 5 p.m., Sunday.
Officials said the impact caused live wires to fall to the ground, causing the victim’s car to catch fire.
Witness Judd Allison said the driver, identified as 40-year-old David Sherrod King, was trapped in his vehicle.
“The fire was going on, and the guy was trying to get out of the car,” he said. “The air bag was kind of trapping him in there.”
Allison said he heard the King, cry out for help.
“Everything was catching fire out there, and I noticed the guy was screaming still in the car, so we ran out there,” he said.
Allison and another witness, Jamie Borrell, joined other good Samaritans as they ran to the burning vehicle to help in any way they could.
“We see a hand coming out of the window, almost like asking for help or whatever,” Borrell said.
The video shows the group trying to open the driver’s side door. They are then seen trying to pull King through the window.
“We’re like pulling the guy, pulling the guy. We can’t get him out of the window,” said Allison. “The car’s already on fire in the passenger side. We did get him out, and we got him out to the sidewalk, and paramedics and everybody came over, but I don’t think he did real well.”
Paramedics transported King to Jackson Memorial Hospital where, police said, he later died.
More than 10 vehicles were also hit by debris from the pole, some cars even went up in flames. One such vehicle was Jennifer Pfeiffer’s SUV.
“The live wire fell onto my car, torched my hood and underneath, and then there were flying pieces of metal shrapnel that busted through the side window as well as the back window,” Pfeiffer said. “My engine is melted completely. My windows are all blown out. Yeah, but everyone’s OK. It’s just a car.”
Pfeiffer also said her friend’s son got some minor burns during the incident, but he is expected to be OK.
It is unclear how King crashed into the pole in the first place.
The pole has since been replaced.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.