Bystander rescues injured driver from burning truck after rollover crash in SLO County
A bystander rescued a woman from a burning truck after she crashed in eastern San Luis Obispo County on Monday evening, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Santa Margarita resident Tanya Mueller, 46, was driving eastbound on Highway 58 three miles east of O’Donovan Road when her Ford F150 crashed at about 7:50 p.m., CHP Officer Patrick Seebart told The Tribune.
The truck rolled over and caught fire on the side of the road, Seebart said. Mueller’s foot was pinned under the steering wheel, trapping her in the burning vehicle.
Santa Margarita resident Gene Simmons, 61, spotted the wreck and rushed to Mueller’s aid.
He kicked out the passenger’s side window and helped her exit the truck while flames ignited the vegetation nearby, Seebart said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze when they arrived at the scene of the crash. The truck was “burnt completely,” he said.
Mueller was transported to Adventist Health Sierra Vista hospital in San Luis Obispo with a broken left foot.
The crash was caused by “an unsafe turn,” Seebart said, adding that drugs or alcohol were not a factor.
This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 2:34 PM.
