Neighbors Help Man Escape Fiery North Miami Wreck

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NORTH MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Quick-thinking neighbors grabbed their hoses and fire extinguishers Friday morning to help get a man out of his burning car that had split in two.

North Miami police said around 6:00 a.m. the man was heading east on NW 135th Street when he lost control near 17th Avenue.

His vehicle jumped the curb, hit a tree and ran into a fence. The car, torn into two pieces, erupted in flames.

"We all got all types of buckets and everything to start putting water in," said Shirley Bodeen, who lives across the street.

She and her father heard a loud "boom" and went outside to see what happened.

"I get the water hose. I get my fire extinguisher and give it to police. We stopped the fire from going more and the guy was able to escape," said Martin Bodeen.

Witnesses said they were shocked the man was able to make it out of the car.

"They didn't know if he was still alive," one neighbor said. "Then, all of a sudden, he got up and started to move. He was on fire. He got out of the car and was screaming."

North Miami police said the man was taken to Ryder Trauma Center where he's listed as stable.