Good Samaritans Help Man From Burning Truck After Fatal Spencer Crash
SPENCER (CBS) -- One person died and two others were seriously injured after two cars collided and one was consumed by flames. The crash occurred on Route 49 in Spencer around 9:40 Friday night.
Cole Victor, 25, of Spencer, was driving a 2012 Buick Regal sedan when the car strayed into oncoming traffic and hit a 2012 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven by Erik Anderson, 40, of Spencer, the police said.
It is unclear why Victor's car went into the other lane. He was later pronounced dead.
Victor's girlfriend 23-year-old Toni Doldo was also in the car. She was taken to the hospital with serious injuries along with Anderson.
Jonathan Boisjolie, one of Victor's relatives, said Cole was a triplet who loved his friends and family.
"Cole is just a warm person. That's exactly what his friends would say. He loved his family, and was very close to his brothers and sisters," said Boisjolie.
According to police, the pickup truck caught fire following the crash. "Several good Samaritans stopped after the accident had occurred and assisted Anderson from the burning vehicle."
Among them was Aaron Caruso. He ripped the door off Anderson' truck and pulled him out, burning his hand in the process.
"I ran over back to him and ripped his door off and he was still seat belted in. So I had to reach into the fire and unbuckle him, and rip him out of the car," said Caruso.
A section of Route 49 was closed for five hours while the crash was investigated.
Caruso said the Victor's last words were to check on his girlfriend.
"The only word he said to me was her," said Caruso. "I hate that he said that because it was his last word. I didn't sleep all night because of it."
Boisjolie said Victor's unselfishness did not surprise him.
"He cared about other people so that doesn't surprise me. That's exactly what we would expect from Cole," he said.
