Pocono News Section

Dramatic Rescue Attempt Caught on Tape After Fiery Crash

Dramatic Rescue Attempt Caught on Tape After Fiery Crash - Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 11:30PM EST

ASHLEY, LUZERNE COUNTY- A classic car show turned tragic Sunday afternoon. An SUV collided with a classic car headed to the show along Route 309 in Ashley. The car to burst into flames, killing its driver and shutting down the highway for nearly five hours. An Eyewitness News videographer was at the show when the crash happened, but we have to caution you -- you may find the video disturbing.
"Go get me an extinguisher, fire extinguisher... we got a guy in there," someone from the crowd yelled in the frantic first moments after a horrifying crash outside a classic car show in Ashley.

People kick in a windshield and pull open a passenger side door -- desperately trying to rescue the driver.

They tried using fire extinguishers but flames several feet high were just too much. Chris Fritz of Laflin said, "Pretty intense. There was a lot of fire. The road... the road was on fire. And the whole inside of the compartment was already engulfed pretty good."

The man killed in the vintage Chevy Nova was 64-year-old Craig Lear of Mountain Top. Off-duty firefighter Chris Fritz was among the classic car show crowd who tried to rescue Lear. "I think he was unconscious if he didn't... wasn't already expired from the impact. He got hit pretty hard," Fritz told Eyewitness News.

Police say Lear was on Route 309 northbound Sunday afternoon around 2:30. He was waiting to make a left to head into Bentley's Plaza. That's when a northbound SUV came up over the hill. Cory Thompson of WIlkes-Barre said, "The lady that hit him just didn't put on her brakes, didn't do anything, just ran right into him.”

Jean Herron of Mountain Top suffered serious injuries and was taken to Geisinger Wyoming Valley. The impact sent her SUV about 100-feet or more into the southbound lane while Lear's car got pushed hundreds of feet into the median.

People familiar with the highway describe this stretch of Route 309 as very dangerous. They can't believe there's not a light here. "It's just ridiculous. There's just too many people getting hurt. Too much, uh, too many accidents, you know. A traffic light definitely should be put here," said Thompson.

Bentley's management agrees. Entertainment Director Pete Carver said, "We're going to have to talk to whoever needs to be talked to to get a light in here so this tragedy doesn't ever, ever happen here again."

Bentley's expresses its condolences to both families of the crash victims. The coroner is consulting Craig Lear's family about a possible autopsy.

Meanwhile, police believe Jean Herron is 77-years-old. Sunday night she was listed in critical condition at Geisinger Wyoming Valley.