A three-car crash on the Isle of Palms Connector near Charleston turned into a scene straight out of a movie on the morning of July 3, and one driver who happened to be passing by is being credited with saving two teenagers from a burning vehicle. Alberto Ortega was simply on his way to work when he came upon the wreck, and what he did next left him needing stitches but says he’d do it again without a second thought.
The crash happened just after 8:19 a.m. on the Isle of Palms Connector, according to the Mount Pleasant Police Department. ABC News 4 reported that a 16-year-old driving a Ford F-150 crossed the double yellow line and hit an oncoming vehicle head-on. A third driver swerved to avoid the collision and hit the barrier instead. One of the vehicles rolled onto its side and caught fire with people trapped inside.
Ortega stopped his car and ran toward the burning vehicle. He said it didn’t feel real at first, more like watching a scene unfold than living through one. Within moments, though, instinct took over, and he and several strangers who’d also pulled over went to work trying to get the doors and windows open before the flames spread further.
This wasn’t a one-man rescue either. Several bystanders tried to break the windows and couldn’t get them to budge, which speaks to how tough modern glass actually is when you need it to fail. It took Ortega climbing up onto the driver’s door itself to make progress, and even then it cost him.
A Community Effort When It Mattered Most
Ortega said he initially thought he was the only one who’d stopped, but more people kept arriving to help as the situation unfolded.
One of the other drivers involved in the crash grabbed tow straps and used them to stabilize the burning vehicle so it wouldn’t shift while someone was still trapped inside, a smart bit of improvising under pressure that likely made a real difference before firefighters arrived.
The Cost of Doing the Right Thing
Getting the teenagers out came at a price. Ortega’s foot got caught as he tried to jump clear of the vehicle, and he was losing blood by the time the ambulance left with the teens.
He drove himself to the hospital rather than wait around, which tells you a bit about the kind of morning it was for everyone involved.
What Happened Next
Firefighters extricated the remaining trapped driver, and three people in total were taken to the hospital. Police cited the 16-year-old driver of the F-150 for reckless driving, and the Connector was shut down for several hours while crews cleared the scene. The families of the teenagers have since reached out to thank Ortega and offered to help with his medical bills, and a GoFundMe has been set up to support his recovery.
Ortega says he doesn’t see what he did as anything extraordinary, just what anyone in his position should do. Sometimes the most important safety equipment on the highway isn’t in the car at all, it’s the person willing to stop.