Two bystanders helped rescue a driver from a car that rolled over and caught fire near Mooney’s Bay on Thursday evening.
Emergency crews responded to the crash on Riverside Drive, near the railroad tracks, shortly after 6:40 p.m. Ottawa Fire Services spokesperson Nick DeFazio said police reported the vehicle had flipped onto its roof and was engulfed in flames, with the driver still trapped inside.
Firefighters arrived just three minutes after being dispatched and confirmed the vehicle was on its roof, with the engine compartment on fire. Fortunately, two bystanders had already pulled the driver from the vehicle. Firefighters used specialized tools to remove the passenger doors and extinguish the fire in the dashboard area.
The driver, a 20-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. There was some confusion about his age, as police initially reported him as a 17-year-old. No charges were laid in connection with the crash, and Riverside Drive was temporarily closed for investigation before reopening later that evening.
Firefighters also spread absorbent material to contain leaking fuel at the crash site.