Good samaritans form human chain to rescue man from burning car

At least half a dozen people help the man escape, dragging him to safety as the flames from the car grow higher

The car veered off the road and plunged down an embankment (Shannon Perez / Palm Bay police department)

Bystanders and emergency workers rushed to rescue a man who was trapped in his burning car after it veered off a road and plunged down an embankment.

The unidentified man drove off the road near Orlando and the incident was captured on camera by a passerby.

One bystander called Tom Sais ran after the car, broke the rear window and crawled inside the vehicle, as reported by NBC news.

The driver was reportedly found hanging upside down by his seatbelt. Mr Sais hit the seatbelt button and the driver dropped on top of him.

“He wrapped both arms around the seat belt and he said, ‘Leave me alone,’” Mr Sais told NBC.

He was joined by six or seven people who helped to pull the driver to safety by forming a human chain.

They dragged him out of the smoking car and then joined arms to pull him up the embankment.

As they reach the top of the incline, the flames from the car are seen to be growing larger.

Mike Brandish, Palm Bay police department spokesman added: “Strangers coming together for a common goal, saving a man’s life. It was beautiful.”

The driver may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol or may have been suffering from a medical condition, Mr Brandish said.