Three Bystanders Save Man in Fiery Franklin Crash

FRANKLIN, TN — A trio of bystanders saved a driver in a fiery Franklin crash Thursday. While the 52-year-old man is in extremely critical condition after the McEwen Drive accident, it's likely he would have died without the assistance of the passers-by.

Mark Contardi was driving on McEwen when he crashed into the end of a highway on-ramp, setting his car alight. The Nissan was fully engulfed in flames within five minutes, police said.

Tommy Campsey, who worked for the Brentwood Police for 36 years before retiring, was behind Contardi, and he told WKRN the car was going upwards of 55 mph when it crashed. He rushed to the car and was soon joined by Keith Allen and Stevie Highers.

“The fire was coming through the dash. It was engulfed. It was getting hot. I knew we had to act right then and get him out,” Campsey told the news station. “Keith grabbed him by the shoulders and I grabbed his legs, and we pulled him out and laid him right here.”

Police say Contardi was involved in a hit and run crash a few minutes before the fiery accident and believe its possible he may have had a medical event which led to his erratic driving, though an investigation is ongoing.

Image via Shutterstock