A woman is lucky to be alive after being pulled from her burning car on a Long Island Expressway Monday by a group of good Samaritans.
Shocking video of the incident was shared on social media earlier this week and shows the moment the group extricates the crash victim from her car.
The woman, identified as 56-year-old Susan Denise, was driving her 2022 Jeep Liberty on the highway when the vehicle hit the median and flipped onto its side, eventually catching fire.
The group were applauded on social media for their quick actions and providing first aid until first responders arrived.
“THANK GOD FOR GOOD SAMARITANS / PASSERS BY – WHO HELP OTHERS IN NEED,” wrote the person who shot the video.
That was the car the woman was pulled from Monday afternoon in New York
Video of the incident was first shared Monday night by Todd Miranda, who was on the highway and captured the harrowing moment.
“This is how my day started, riding Westbound on the LIE [Long Island Expressway] before exit 61,” Miranda wrote.
According to the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, the accident happened just west of Exit 62 on the Long Island Expressway just after 12:00 p.m.
Three of the highway’s four lanes were closed for several hours after the crash.
After the vehicle caught fire, bystanders sprang into action, stopping their own cars in the middle of the busy highway to help.
The woman was on fire in the car, officials said.
The accident happened shortly after 12:00 p.m. on the Long Island Freeway
A group of good Samaritans swung into action to help the woman as her car was on fire
The men helped the woman by putting out the fire on her clothes and blocking traffic
The crash closed three of the highway’s four lanes for several hours Monday
The first three seconds of the video show the woman’s clothes on fire as she lies on the ground after being pulled from the vehicle.
Denise was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital and was listed in critical condition Tuesday.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office for an update on Dennis’ condition and the crash investigation, but had not heard back by the time of publication.
It is not yet known what caused the woman and the vehicle to hit the median and crash.
The woman was taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital, where she remains in critical condition
The fiery impact was documented by a man who was on the highway
The woman’s car caught fire after hitting the median and overturning
The 45-second video shows the woman’s SUV in the carpool lane, facing oncoming traffic with flames erupting from the side and front.
A man appears to throw water on the flames on the ground and the car while the woman is writhing on the ground to the side of the vehicle.
At one point, another man pulls his car forward and opens his trunk to take out an extra jug of water to give to the group helping the woman.
The group pulled the woman several lanes away from the fire, which appeared to be fully engulfed in flames, and one of the rescuers heroically stood in the middle of several lanes of the highway to stop traffic.
This was the post attached to the video of the rescue
The video, posted less than 48 hours ago, has garnered nearly 45,000 views on Facebook since it was posted by the witness.
“These 5 BRAVE, BRAVE PASSERBYSTANDERS RISKED THEIR LIVES TO GET THIS WOMAN OUT OF A BURNING BULB OF CAR FIRE TO SAVE HER LIFE,” Miranda wrote in the post’s caption.
The Facebook user said the incident has made him more prepared in the future if something like this ever happens again.
“I felt quite helpless, I wished I had a FIRE EXTINGUISHER in my car so I could do something to help. I went to the store to buy 2 immediately so this NEVER happens again,” the poster said.
Dozens commented on Miranda’s post, saying they also saw the crash and thanking him for documenting the incident.
The group of men were applauded on social media
Good Samaritans were thanked for their quick actions that saved the woman’s life
“God bless this band forever in return,” said one Facebook commenter.
‘So scary. Thank God and bless these brave men for being so brave and saving this man,” one person wrote.
“I love New York,” one commenter wrote. “The people, the heart… Real heroes.
‘Eha. This is intense. She is so lucky to be alive and the amazing men stepped up and helped her,” said another.
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