Southwest Side Neighbors Rush To Rescue Family Trapped In Overturned SUV After Hit-And-Run
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Using their bare hands neighbors helped rescue a family trapped after their SUV flipped over during a car crash on the Southwest Side.
Neighbors say the intersection at 51st and Lawndale is busy, and they are used to seeing accidents. But what they witnessed this week and how this community rushed in to help shows the determination of saving a life.
Video shows the moments neighbors rushed to help free the trapped family.
"Adrenaline, fear. My legs were shaking so bad, yeah, fear," said Isaac Terrazas. "I was scared for them."
Terrazas is one of the dozen people who didn't hesitate to jump in and help out. He can be seen in red shorts and no shirt pushing the SUV upright.
"We didn't know if anybody else was in there, so we decided to flip it over. And we made sure on the other side no one would get crushed," he said.
Moments before turning the SUV upright something caused them to lose control -- a van side swiped their SUV. The SUV flipped twice, and the van never stopped. The Chicago Police Department says the van red the red light, leaving the family in danger at 51st and Lawndale.
As Terrazas, his stepdad and other got closer the screams are what forced them to do something.
"I heard the mom crying and asking where her baby was," Terrazas said.
In the back seat a child was strapped in a carseat crying.
"As soon as we found it was a little child in there that was the turning point," said James Nass IV. "We definitely needed to do something because the fire department was five minutes away."
They grabbed anything to clear the way.
"Hammers or bats, whatever they could just to break the windows to get them out," said Nass.
While the van in this hit-and-run took off, police say everyone including the child is in good condition. The actions of this community show what you can do together.
"It didn't matter what race we were, how old we were," said Terrazas. "We're all just humans, ad we all helped, ad that little act there shows we can come together and do something."
