NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — An 18-year-old man was rushed to the hospital after a car crashed under a tractor-trailer in North Kingstown overnight.
Crews were called to the scene just before midnight on Roger Williams Way near the Quonset Point Industrial Park.
The car was on fire and there were reports that one person was trapped.
Bystanders nearby sprang into action and were able to put the fire out before first responders arrived, according to Fire Chief Scott Kettelle.
“They had fire extinguishers and a concrete truck that was hauling cement into the industrial park was utilizing water off of [her] truck to quell the flames,” Kettelle said.
Janae Allard, the concrete truck driver, told 12 News off-camera they used about 40 gallons of water from her truck.
“I just pulled right up and everybody was like, ‘Stop, stop,’ but I knew I had water so I just pulled right up and was like, ‘I have water,’ so I turned on my water and there was a lot of people that stopped,” she explained.
Cell phone video from Allard shows the bystanders pulling the hose from her truck and using the water, as well as people trying to free the man from inside the car.
When crews arrived, they were able to get the man out of the vehicle. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
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The 41-year-old tractor-trailer driver was not injured, police said.
The initial investigation indicated that speed was a factor and the crash may have been the result of street racing.
North Kingstown police called the it a “problem area,” saying they also responded to two additional crashes and a car fire in the vicinity between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“The large influx of traffic coming from the many businesses located in Quonset make it quite the area to abuse the speed limits especially at shift end, break times and arrival times,” Capt. John MacCoy told 12 News.
Witnesses said the other car involved was a light color, possibly white or silver, that had a similar shape to a Honda Civic. Police are asking anyone with information to call 401-294-3316.
