On Monday, quick-thinking bystanders apprehended a man who allegedly caused a deadly crash while driving recklessly on the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles.
According to witnesses, the suspect maneuvered through traffic erratically, switching across four lanes before striking the rear of a blue Toyota Prius.
The impact sent the Prius careening into the center median, involving two other vehicles and resulting in a fiery explosion.
The Los Angeles Fire Department arrived at the scene at 7:16 p.m. Unfortunately, the driver of the Prius, engulfed in flames, was pronounced dead by the time emergency responders arrived.
Eyewitnesses described the blaze to KTLA as both “giant” and “intensely hot.” Another driver involved in the accident sustained critical injuries and required hospitalization.
Despite the chaos, the third driver, allegedly responsible for the crash, attempted to flee the scene. Witnesses, in a desperate effort to rescue the Prius driver, tried breaking her window using a golf club.
The construction worker trying to save the driver had to stop his attempted heroics when he noticed the fleeing man.
He is believed to have sprinted to stop him, tackling him and holding him there until California Highway Police units arrived.
“I did tackle him and I got him on the ground and I just asked him, ‘Hey, man, sit right here,’” construction worker Jacob Deegan told KTLA. “He kept trying to run off.”
Other witnesses of the crash helped Deegan keep the man in their custody until CHP officers arrived to arrest him. It’s unclear what crime they charged the alleged aggressive driver with.
Witness Eve Porinchak pointed out at least one positive from the frightening crash, which claimed the life of an unidentified woman.
“Regardless of what the rest of the world says about us, we’re good people,” she said. “L.A. has so many good people who will help strangers. Thank goodness for good people.”
