CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. — An EMT and a sheriff’s lieutenant pulled a man from a burning vehicle Saturday night after both happened to drive by the scene of a fatal head-on collision.
WJHL.com reported Sean Oschenbein, a Putnam County EMT, was driving back from a ski trip with his fiancee when they spotted the crash and stopped to help.
“When I got out of the car I saw there was fire dripping from the bottom of the vehicles from oil and having prior experience in EMS, I knew that we didn’t have a lot of time,” Ochsenbein said.
Lt. William Buchanan, with the Avery County Sheriff’s office, also happened to drive by the scene and stopped.
“I believe God puts us at certain places at certain times to help people, and I believe that was the case,” Lt. Buchanan said.
“We started trying to pull him out through the window and that was not successful, he was trapped at his knees below under the dash,” Ochsenbein said.
Ochsenbein remembered he had a towing strap in his car and he and Lt. Buchanan were able to use the strap to pull the door open and pull Oaks out of the vehicle.
“I just believe God put a bubble around all of us because I didn’t feel the flames and didn’t get burnt at all,” Lt. Buchanan said.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, one car was travelling northbound in the southbound lane on Highway 362 and struck a second car head on.
The man in the car that was hit, Vincent Hitechew, died at the scene. Jerry Oaks, who was driving the car that struck Hitechew, was trapped in his burning vehicle.
Tennessee Highway Patrol said alcohol was a factor in the crash. Charges are pending in the case.