Police Call Men ‘Heroes' For Saving Man From Burning Truck

MARS, Pa.,None — Two people were flown to a Pittsburgh-area hospital after a three-vehicle crash along Route 228 in Mars, Butler County, on Thursday.

Police told Channel 11 News a truck traveling eastbound went into the westbound lane and struck a green pickup truck head-on. Police said a white sedan then struck the green pickup truck from behind, getting pinned underneath it.

Authorities said the driver,of the pickup 42-year-old Michael Rupert, suffered burns to 60 percent of his body after his truck caught fire.

Within seconds, investigators said three men pulled Rupert out of the car.

Butler County Police Chief William Westerman said if weren't for those men, the victim might not have made it.

"We would have had a man dead in that pickup truck," Westerman said.

"He was just yelling ‘Get me out of here,' said Carl Latimer, one of the men who helped pull Rupert out.

Latimer said he was on his way to work when he saw the accident happen. Latimer is a plumber and said he used fire extinguishers from his work van to help put out the fire.

Frank Daniels also saw the accident. He too jumped out of his car to help.

"I went and got my knife, started cutting him out," said Daniels.

A third man who hasn't been identified also helped pull Rupert out of the blaze.

Westerman called all three men "heroes."

Police are investigating the cause of the crash. There is no word on whether any charges will be filed.

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