An 18-year-old impaired driver was extricated in extremis by police and a citizen from his burning car after causing a rollover which injured his three passengers, Saturday evening, in Saint-Constant.
“People around weren’t doing anything to help. I couldn’t let him burn alive,” said François Buttle, who helped with the rescue.
He was at home, three blocks from the scene of the accident, when he heard, shortly after 11 p.m., huge “bangs” resembling the sound of an explosion.
When he arrived on site even before the first responders, he saw the car turned upside down and on fire on rue Laplante, in the heart of a residential area. A brick wall and a parked vehicle were also stamped.
In a video of the scene captured by a resident of the area, we see two officers from the Roussillon Intermunicipal Police Board arrive quickly and make a first attempt to approach the vehicle which is engulfed in flames.
car on fire
Then, they try on the other side to get the stuck driver out, but have to back off when a small explosion is heard. François Buttle and a policeman finally managed to brave the flames which spread all around the engine by kneeling on the ground to extricate the young man.
“I tried to pull him out the first time, but he was attached. I untied him, then we pulled him into the grass. The fire was really starting to get bigger in the car,” told the Journal M. Buttle.
Photo Agence QMI, Thierry Laforce
The young 18-year-old driver reportedly crashed into a brick wall and a parked car before ending his race in the middle of rue Laplante, in Saint-Constant, where his vehicle caught fire. The scene the next day testifies to the scale of the accident.
Three minor passengers on board managed to get out of the car on their own. They were transported to the hospital center to treat serious injuries, but which were not life-threatening.
Despite the danger, François Buttle says he acted without asking questions while thinking of his five children, three of whom are of driving age.
“I have a grandfather who had third degree burns. I have heard all my life about the suffering that a serious burn victim has to live with. I didn’t want that for the youngster,” he added.
Impaired
The 18-year-old driver was arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs causing injury, confirmed Sandra Blouin, media relations officer for the Roussillon Intermunicipal Police Board. He was released on a promise to appear at the courthouse, where he will face charges.
“He is alive, he has the right to a second chance in life. Now we will see if he will seize the opportunity to take control and assume his actions, ”hoped the one who saved him.
The police investigation is continuing in order to understand the cause of the accident.
Two teenagers survive with multiple injuries
The parents of two teenage girls injured in the spectacular road accident, which occurred on Saturday evening in Saint-Constant, are issuing a warning about the consequences of drink-driving.
“Life hangs by a thread. When we are young, we think we are invincible and we would never believe that an accident like that could happen to us. But you have to think about all the consequences when you make a decision,” said Valérie Dion-Dubé.
Courtesy picture
Maya Thomas, 14, is still smiling despite her numerous injuries from the accident, including damage to her face.
His 14-year-old daughter Maya Thomas was sitting in the back of the car, which overturned on Laplante Street around 11:10 p.m. before catching fire. The 18-year-old driver was arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs causing injury.
“I don’t know how my daughter is still alive. It was her friend Rafaele who helped her get out of the car,” Ms. Dion-Dubé dropped, still in shock.
As she lives very close to the scene of the accident, the mother arrived on the spot shortly after the violent swerve.
“The driver may be to blame, but my daughter [qui n’était pas attachée] also made a bad decision that could have been tragic. After getting into the ambulance with her, she kept apologizing,” added Ms. Dion-Dubé.
fear of his life
Maya Thomas, who had the scare of her life, suffered several serious injuries. Among other things, she has a punctured lung, a small concussion and facial injuries caused by shards of glass.
She was discharged from hospital yesterday morning and should be fine without physical damage, according to her mother.
“She has exercises to do to work her lung and it should close on its own,” she said.
Fractured pelvis and collarbone, cracked ribs, bruises on the lungs: her friend Rafaele Barnett also escaped with major injuries, her father Danny explained to the Journal. The 15-year-old girl also took place in the back seat.
Yesterday, she was still hospitalized for at least another day at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
“There are places to fool around in cars, like closed race tracks, but not in residential areas. You have to keep it for places where it is allowed and safe. I hope they’ll all get the hang of it,” Barnett said.