MIAMI (WSVN) - A chain-reaction crash in Miami sent multiple people to the hospital, including one good Samaritan who was badly injured while helping the crash victims.
According to officials, the man was helping people in one accident along Northeast 10th Court and 79th Street, at around 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, when he was hit and pinned under another car.
Fire Rescue Captain Ignatius Carroll said a minivan and an SUV were involved in the original crash. When passing drivers stopped to help, one of the good Samaritans noticed the vehicle moving and tried to back away from it.
“His instinct was to get away from the vehicle,” said Carroll. “But he stepped into the path of a vehicle that was traveling Eastbound on 79th Street.”
Mario Jimenez, who was involved in the initial crash, used a jack to keep the vehicle from crushing the man. He said he used the jack to lift the car and told the man to relax while rescuers were en route. “That vehicle actually took this good Samaritan under his vehicle, and then that person became trapped,” Carroll said. “Several other vehicles stopped, and they actually took out their car jacks out of their vehicles to help lift this car up to free this person.”
Mario Jimenez was just one of many who used his jack to lift the car off the victim’s chest. “We got the car out from on top of him,” he said in Spanish.
Miami Fire Rescue responded to the scene and freed the victim.
Paramedics transported him to the hospital for further evaluation. He is said to be alert and conscious.
“You can imagine just how much adrenaline is pumping when you hear calls like this,” said Carroll, “knowing that you have to get out there and you’re that victim’s last bit of hope.”
Unfortunately, another person helping the victims was injured.
“Another good Samaritan who stopped with his 2-year-old son also sustained minor injuries as a result of the minivan starting to move,” said Carroll, “and he was struck by that vehicle.”
The father was treated on the scene for hand and arm injuries.
The pinned good Samaritan and the person from the minivan in the initial crash were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Everyone injured in this crash are expected to be OK.
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