Police, bystanders lift overturned car off 19-year-old driver, saving his life

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (Gray News) – A 19-year-old driver was saved after a horrific crash in Georgia, thanks to the heroic actions of several police officers and bystanders.

According to the Lawrenceville Police Department, Sgt. Michael Peterson noticed a speeding car around 11 p.m. on Sept. 13. Shortly after, the vehicle crashed and overturned.

Body cam video shows Peterson approaching the overturned car as two young men exit the back seat on their own, seemingly unharmed. The passengers frantically tell Peterson that the driver is still trapped and needs help.

Police said the 19-year-old driver was partially ejected through the sunroof with his upper body and head squeezed between the vehicle and the road, obstructing his airway.

Body cam video shows Peterson directing bystanders and three other responding officers to help him manually lift the 3,600-pound vehicle so that the driver could be freed.

“You, you, and me are gonna lift this car up right now,” Peterson says.

The group of people is then seen working together for several minutes to lift the vehicle until the driver is pulled to safety.

The police department said the driver sustained several injuries and remains in the hospital, but the actions of the officers and the bystanders saved his life.

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