Good Samaritans Pull Teen From Burning SUV On Lake Shore Drive
(CBS) -- Two Good Samaritans came to the rescue of a teenage driver who had lost control of his vehicle and crashed on Lake Shore Drive Saturday morning.
The 17-year-old boy was traveling southbound on 2100 block of south Lake Shore Drive at about 10:15 a.m. when his vehicle hit a tree and caught fire, police said.
The teen was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in guarded condition with a head injury and leg lacerations, police said.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports two men got the teenager out of Saturn SUV moments before it exploded.
"He was unresponsive when we pulled him out the car. The fire and the smoke had gotten to him. It got to us, pulling him out," said John Poulos, the off-duty police officer.
"Seconds later, if we didn't get him out of there, this would have been a tragedy," said Keith Bonner Sr.
Bonner says that after they pulled the teen from the car, it just, "engulfed in flames just as the fire department was arriving."
The impact of the SUV hitting a nearby tree was so tremendous the vehicle's headlights landed more than 100 feet away.
Bonner Sr. says as he watched the SUV spin out of control and didn't hesitate to pull over immediately and help.
"We're just glad we were able to get him out," Bonner Sr. said.
"They say people don't care, but they do care," said Poulos. "A lot of people stopped and a lot of people helped and it's what Chicago is all about."