2 Good Samaritans Rescue Man From Burning Car Near New Ulm
NEW ULM, Minn. (WCCO) – A 74-year-old man had to rescued from a burning car near New Ulm on Sunday after his car left the road, went into a ditch and caught fire, according to the Brown County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities responded to the accident at about 5:36 p.m. on 400th Avenue near Highway 17. When they arrived, they found that 74-year-old Lance Johnson of Wymore, Neb., was going south in a 1995 Mercury Villager van when it left the road and hit a ditch. The crash caused oil or transmission fluid to leak from the vehicle, also causing it to catch fire.
Authorities say two men working in nearby fields came to his aid and attempted to rescue him. They tried to put the fire out and take Johnson out of the car but cutting him out of seatbelts. The two men were able to pull him safely away from the van, and Johnson suffered severe burns to his left leg in the crash.
The Brown County Sheriff's office said the van is a total loss, and Johnson was sent to Regions Hospital to be treated for burns. What caused him to leave the road is still under investigation.
