A dramatic rescue unfolded on a busy Pennsylvania roadway after an e-bike rider was pinned beneath a Volkswagen Beetle following a crash, with police officers and nearby strangers rushing in to lift the car off her, newly released body camera footage shows.
The 44-year-old woman sustained multiple broken bones in the Monday morning collision in Prospect Park, local officials said. She survived after roughly half a dozen bystanders helped officers raise the vehicle high enough to pull her out, according to FOX 29.
Prospect Park Police Chief Dave Madonna said the woman had been riding an e-bike at what he estimated was more than 20 mph and was not wearing a helmet when she collided with the Volkswagen at an intersection on Route 420.
Madonna told the station he believed the rider was moving too quickly for the road and the morning traffic conditions, and appeared to be trying to pass vehicles while heading to an appointment.
Police officers and bystanders lift a Volkswagen Beetle to free an e-bike rider trapped underneath after a crash in Prospect Park, Pa. (WTXF)
Surveillance footage and police body camera video captured the urgent moments after the crash, showing people in the area sprinting toward the scene to help.
Within moments, about six people joined forces with responding officers, lifting the compact car just enough to free the injured woman from beneath it.
FedEx driver Carl Wise told the station he heard someone calling for help and ran over. He said the group lifted the Volkswagen Beetle, pulled the woman out and kept her still on the ground until further help arrived.
Police body camera video shows bystanders rushing to help lift a car off a 44-year-old e-bike rider following a crash along Route 420 in Pennsylvania. (WTXF)
“I’m no hero. I’m just a guy doing a job, that’s all,” he added.
Local business owner Chrissy Vollmer, who also responded, described what she saw.
“All I saw were the lady’s legs underneath the car, and she was just yelling, ‘Get this car off of me,’” Vollmer said.
Madonna called the bystanders who helped rescue the woman “heroes” and later visited them to offer his thanks.
About six bystanders joined police officers to lift a Volkswagen Beetle and free a woman trapped underneath, according to local authorities. (WTXF)
He also raised concerns about what he described as an increase in e-bike crashes.
“How many more tragedies do we have to see before some type of action is taken?” Madonna said.
The woman was taken to Lankenau Hospital and underwent surgery for a broken collarbone and other injuries, FOX 29 reported.
The Volkswagen driver is not facing charges, and police said the e-bike rider could receive a traffic citation pending the outcome of the investigation.
