BRADY TWP — An elderly woman entrapped in her crushed vehicle Thursday afternoon following a two-vehicle accident was flown to an area hospital, but not before a group of men helped first responders by lifting her car.

The driver of a Subaru SUV was entrapped around 3:35 p.m. after colliding with a Ford Focus at the intersection of West Liberty and Prospect roads.

A male passenger in the SUV also was injured. The driver of the Ford, Josie Smith of Slippery Rock, was not hurt.

The driver's injuries were considered serious, though she was conscious after the crash, said Unionville Fire Chief Nathan Wulff.

Emergency responders were able to free her from her vehicle more quickly thanks to quick thinking and help from three good Samaritans, Wulff said.

Arriving at the scene in his personal vehicle less than a minute after the first of two Butler ambulances to respond, Wulff said he saw the two vehicles were both in the road and were lodged together side-by-side, making it impossible to get access to the driver's side door of the SUV.

Smith had called her boyfriend Tom Woods, a contractor who was working on a roof nearby. Woods rushed to the scene along with co-worker William McCoy and offered to help.

“It was scary. I was hoping nobody was hurt,” Woods said.

Wulff enlisted Woods, McCoy and another passer-by, who left the scene without giving his name, to separate the vehicles using nothing but manpower.

They lifted up the Subaru and dragged it about 4 feet, allowing room for the fire department to get to the trapped driver.

“That was crucial. It would have been a lot harder to get her out without moving the vehicle,” Wulff said.

Soon after that, Unionville's rescue truck arrived and firefighters used hydraulic tools to remove the two doors and the B-pillar from the driver's side of the SUV.

Once freed, the woman was rushed to a medical helicopter landing zone firefighters has set up at the Old Stone House on Route 8.

Smith said she was driving south on Prospect Road and the other driver was attempting to make a left turn from West Liberty. She said she swerved but was unable to avoid a crash. Prospect Road traffic has the right of way at that intersection.

State police are investigating the accident, but have not yet released a report.