WAREHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - A neighbor doing lawn work helped rescue the driver of a van after it crashed into a Wareham home and caught fire Sunday evening.
At around 6:30 p.m., emergency crews responded to 164 Marion Road for reports of a burning van that had hit the house, according to the Wareham Fire Department.
However, John Kelshe was already on scene.
“I ran right over there and said, ‘What am I going to do?’ The guy was still in there,” Kelshe said.
He said he found the van on fire and the driver stuck high up at the steering wheel.
“I climbed a little tree and I opened the door and there he was,” Kelshe said. “I just climbed it like a monkey, just hoping I could reach the door and I did.”
He said he grabbed the driver’s arm and told him to get out, but couldn’t do much more before he fell out of the tree.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze and the driver was taken to a nearby hospital, officials said. He sustained injuries from both the crash and the fire, the department said.
“I lost a lot of sleep last night. I just can’t believe that happened,” Kelshe said.
The home was under construction and was knocked off its foundation during the crash.
“It wasn’t just your ordinary car accident. We had the vehicle on fire, the vehicle on the roof of the house, and we had the stability of the house in question at that point,” said Wareham Fire Chief John Kelley.
Domonique Linebaugh said the sound of the crash Sunday evening was jarring.
“Me and my mom were sitting on the couch and we felt something like almost sounded like a big dumpster and it shook our whole, entire house,” she said.
Kelshe said he was glad he was able to help the driver.
“I would hope someone would do that for me too, you know,” he said. “I’m glad I did it. I’d do it again.”
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