Mesa Water District workers help free man from burning car
Two Mesa Water District employees helped an elderly driver get to safety when his car caught fire in Costa Mesa on Wednesday afternoon, according to the district.
Ed Nunez and Stryder Huff were on their way back from an assignment when they saw a car stalled in the intersection of Mesa Verde Drive West and Adams Avenue around 3:30 p.m.
The two pulled over to see if the driver, who appeared to be in his 70s or 80s, needed help.
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“As we were talking to him, to push him out of the way, he was getting ready to put the car into neutral and we heard a pop underneath the hood,” Nunez said.
They weren’t sure what caused the sound, but “about a minute later, flames and smoke started coming out from underneath the car and the hood,” Nunez said.
Huff said he reached inside the car and helped the man get out of his seat belt.
“I think [the driver] was just confused,” Nunez said. “It happened so fast.”
Once the man was safe, Nunez called 911 and Costa Mesa firefighters quickly arrived to douse the flames.
Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck
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