A man’s life was saved in Forward Township after a group of bystanders jumped to action and pulled him out of a burning car Monday, Dec. 22.

Butler County dispatchers first reported a vehicle fire around 7:30 a.m. Monday morning following a crash on Brownsdale Road between Route 68 and Tunnel Road. The vehicle, which ended up in a ditch on the side of the road, caught fire with a man trapped inside.

First responders hurried to the scene, but by the time they got there, others had approached the car and pulled the man to safety.

“You don’t see that very often. A lot of the time, people will just go about their day when something bad happens,” said Randy Hoffman Jr., assistant chief at the Callery Volunteer Fire Company.

The actions and quick thinking made a difference, saving the man’s life before firefighters arrived at the scene.

“There are a good bunch of good Samaritans out there,” Hoffman said. “It’s important for people to know that. Those people did a tremendous job saving that man.”

Hoffman said the Callery and Evans City fire departments arrived at roughly the same time, with the first engine arriving there in less than eight minutes.

Hoffman said the group that sprung to action used a trailer hitch to break the window, and a fire extinguisher to suppress the flames and smoke, so that they could pull the man out of the vehicle.

According to Butler County Emergency Services dispatch reports, the person pulled out of the vehicle fire was a man in his 50s. He suffered multiple injuries and was transported to Allegheny General Hospital.

Hoffman did not know the names of the people who saved the man, but he said he and his fire department wanted to make sure the good Samaritans were recognized for their actions.

“These bystanders worked together and were actually able to break the car’s window out, and save the gentleman from the fire. They reacted quickly, and they saved his life,” Hoffman said.