They went around to the driver side door and began trying to remove the woman as the SUV and grass around it burst into flames.
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Passing motorists Sean Kehren, Elissa Schnell and Josh Schnell helped rescue Hupalo from the burning vehicle, playing a “vital role” in saving her life, the DPS said.
One of those three was Sean Kehren, a college student.
“They ended up going down at about 65 miles per hour, swerving back and forth, until eventually [the driver] lost control and hit a tree head on”, Kehren said.
“I attempted to pick her up out of the auto and when I tried to do that, I could feel a warmth on my legs”. “… Honestly, anyone who is not completely self-centered, who has a value for humanity and who has empathy for other people would have done the exact same thing as I did”.
‘So I said, or I more or less screamed, “Ma’am, we got to get you out of this vehicle right now”.
“She was in pretty bad shape”, Elissa Schnell said about the Mother’s Day rescue. At that point, adrenaline kind of kicked in.
Kehren says he and two others got the woman on the grass next to the interstate. She is expected to survive, although authorities say they don’t have any details about her condition.
Elissa ran to her family’s truck and grabbed a pillow and blanket for the woman, who is from Thunder Bay, Ontario.
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The State Patrol says the woman was transported to North Memorial hospital in Robbinsdale with non-life threatening injuries.
