Good Samaritans rescue driver from fiery I-94 crash in St. Paul

Good Samaritans and at least one state worker helped rescue a driver from a burning vehicle on Interstate 94 in St. Paul last week.

Video of the incident making the rounds on social media shows several motorists and a state Department of Transportation worker stop on the shoulder of the highway on Thursday evening, run to a burning Honda and attempt to open the vehicle’s doors to save the driver.

The SUV had drifted off the road to the right and struck a light pole, then a guardrail, catching fire near the Snelling exit on I-94 around 6:30 p.m., said State Patrol spokesperson Lt. Jill Frankfurth.

A Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) worker broke the burning SUV’s window, Frankfurth said. That allowed the group to pull the driver out feet-first, the video shows.

The driver was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul for evaluation, but no injuries were reported, Frankfurth said.

Kadir Tolla, whose car video is circulating on social media, said he works with seniors and was on his way to meet a client off the Snelling Avenue exit when he saw the burning car. He said that when he stopped he didn’t realize his car was recording at the time.

Tolla said that when the doors wouldn’t open, he grabbed some debris by the side of the road to try to break the car’s window. Seconds later, the MnDOT worker arrived and managed to break the window.

Tolla said that in the moment, he didn’t think about how hot the flames were. He emerged from the incident with just a cut on his hand, he said.

“We could run away from the fire, but he can’t — he was strapped in there,” Tolla said.

The good Samaritan said he’s just glad the man is safe. The attention the video has brought him has been a surprise, and a little overwhelming, too, Tolla said.