by Debbie Williams
Published: Fri, February 06, 2009 - 4:29 pm CST
Last Updated: Fri, February 06, 2009 - 4:38 pm CST
"I was fixing to come out the door when I heard three big booms," says Tana Richards.For a few hours, Friday afternoon, County Road 32 near Highway 181 looked more like a war zone than a roadway.
Karen Dixon was involved in the crash. "I'm driving along and it seemed like all of a sudden these two cars collided into one another and I was trying to stop and there was a motorcycle that went down into a ditch over there and the white car over there was on fire. The motorcyclist was pinned underneath and he was on fire."
Shortly after the crash people that live nearby seemed to come out of the woodwork with fire extinguishers, water hoses and then there was about half a dozen guys who picked up a burning car.
"We just picked up the car," says Travis Challenger standing along the roadside. "There was a guy up under it that was on a motorcycle so we just pulled him out and then everybody started taking off their shirts started putting him out cause he was on fire."
Retired police officer Tom Smith was one of those guys. "The car was burning tremendously. I could not believe it did not explode."
The crash sent three people to the hospital and brought out the best in those who live nearby.
"Intestinal fortitude," says Smith. "Determination, trying to save his life," says Challenger.
"He was under there. He was still moving. He had to come out," says Smith.
The motorcyclist was air lifted to USA Medical Center with severe burns to the upper body. No word on his condition or the identities of those involved in the crash. Alabama State Troopers are investigating.
Baldwin County Pileup
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