Passersby rescue man from burning car that crashed on freeway in Roseville

Joe Wold saw smoke rising from a car in the ditch as he drove Monday morning on Interstate 35W in Roseville and instantly knew there was one thing to do: stop and see if the driver needed help.

At least two other passersby did the same, and their actions may have saved the life of 22-year-old Paymon Sadat, who was trapped in a Toyota Rav4 that had veered off the freeway at about 9:25 a.m. near County Road C, slammed into a light pole and caught fire, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

The do-gooders were able to free Sadat and pull him to safety, without a moment to spare.

“If I’d waited another 30 seconds, I think it would have been a fatality,” Wold said.

Instead, Sadat on Tuesday was recovering at HCMC in Minneapolis where he was listed in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Wold, 43, of Lino Lakes, was driving for his company, Junk Be Gone, when he came upon the mishap. Wold said he has CPR and first aid experience, and though he has never been part of a rescue before, he felt compelled to pull over to see if he could help.

“I called the cops. They told me they had the crash on camera and help was on the way,” Wold said.

With smoke engulfing the Toyota and flames brewing, Wold ran to the car and tried to open the door. He had no luck. Soon, another passerby showed up with a fire extinguisher and then a another with a pry bar. Together with a State Trooper, the men broke windows, opened the doors and got Sadat out of the SUV.

Sadat was dazed and in shock, and didn’t know if there were others in the vehicle, Wold said. Sadat was the lone occupant in the vehicle, the patrol said.

“He was breathing, but was out of it,” Wold recalled. “He knew he needed to get out of there.”

Minnesota Department of Transportation cameras caught the aftermath of the crash and showed the flames and thick smoke shooting from the Toyota seconds after rescuers pulled Sadat through tall grass up to the side of the road.

Wold said he was happy to have helped, and thanked the others who also put their lives at risk to save Sadat.