In this image taken from video, a group of people tilt a burning BMW up to free Brandon Wright.(AP Photo/Chris Garff)
Police officers extinguish flames on a BMW and motorcycle that collided in Utah. (AP Photo/Chris Garff)
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Bystanders Lift Burning Car off Motorcyclist
Bystanders help police lift a burning car off a motorcyclist.
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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) — A Utah motorcyclist who was pinned under a burning car after a collision expressed his gratitude Tuesday for the help of strangers who lifted the vehicle to rescue him.
"I'm just very thankful for everyone that helped me out," Brandon Wright told The Associated Press by telephone from his hospital bed. "They saved my life."
Authorities said Wright was riding his motorcycle Monday on U.S. 89 near the Utah State University campus in Logan when the 21-year-old collided with a black BMW that was pulling out of a parking lot.
Tire and skid marks on the highway indicate that Wright laid the bike down and slid along the road before colliding with the car, Assistant Police Chief Jeff Curtis said.
The bike hit the car's hood and bounced to the ground, while Wright slid under the car and then both vehicles burst into flames, Curtis said. Wright was trapped beneath the burning car.
A group of about 10 men and women rushed to help, tilting the car up to free him and pull him to safety.
"Every one of those people put their lives in danger," Curtis said. "Those people are heroes. You can only speculate what the outcome would have been if they had lifted that car and waited for the emergency service personnel to get up there."
Construction workers from a campus building project also grabbed fire extinguishers to try to put out the flames.
Chris Garff, a media production specialist for the university, caught the rescue on video. The 31-year-old was on the 9th floor of a university building shooting a promotional video for the school when he looked out of the window and saw black smoke billowing from the road.
"I turned the camera toward it and started to record," said Garff, adding that Wright's motorcycle was engulfed in flames. "It was a remarkable thing to see 10 to 12 people lift that car and pull him out."
Wright was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Curtis said.
The driver of the BMW, whom Curtis said was among the group that helped lift the car, suffered only minor injuries. He's been identified as John Johnson, the head of USU's Department of Management Information Systems in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.
Johnson did not respond to email and phone messages from The AP on Tuesday.
Curtis said he didn't know whether any citations would be issued or charges filed.
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Associated Press writer Brian Skoloff contributed to this report.
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