---
title: "Witnesses Leap Into Action to Save Elderly Couple from Burning Car Under Tanker Truck"
description: "The car's gas tank exploded just minutes after bystanders pulled the couple out."
date: "2017-10-20"
modified: "2017-10-20"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/15275/witnesses-leap-into-action-to-save-elderly-couple-from-burning-car-under-tanker-truck"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Crash"
  - "fire"
  - "good samaritan"
  - "New York"
  - "Tanker"
---

# Witnesses Leap Into Action to Save Elderly Couple from Burning Car Under Tanker Truck

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/10/tanker-truck.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Dramatic video following a horrific crash in upstate New York shows witnesses rushing to help an elderly couple as their burning Subaru remained wedged underneath a tanker truck, [*ABC News* reports.](<https://abcnews.go.com/US/video-captures-good-samaritans-rushing-rescue-elderly-couple/story?id=50526178>)

Carmin and Alejandro Rivera Sr., who have been married for 56 years, were driving their first-generation [Subaru Forester](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/1530/video-subaru-forester-plunges-off-cliff-takes-hit-like-a-champ>) through a small town about an hour north of New York City on Sunday when a tire blew at speed, sending their car spinning underneath a parked 18-wheel [tanker truck.](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/4867/watch-these-people-miraculously-survive-a-tanker-truck-crash>) Even worse, the force of the impact caused the Subaru's gas tank to catch fire.

That's when witnesses leaped into action to rescue the couple. Without knowing what the tanker was hauling and whether or not it would explode, several people ran to the wreckage and crawled underneath the trailer to try and help the Riveras.

"Everybody just ran across the highway, even with flames coming out of the gas tank from the car," witness Jackie Welch [told *WABC*](<https://abc7ny.com/traffic/strangers-rush-in-to-save-couple-trapped-under-burning-tanker/2540106/>). "Nobody knew if it was going to blow up, or if it was a fuel tanker, and nobody cared."

Fortunately for everyone involved, it turned out the tanker was carrying a load of liquid sugar. However, the citizen rescuers pulled the Riveras out just in time—the Forester's gas tank reportedly exploded just minutes later.

Carmin and Alejandro Rivera were both hospitalized with serious injuries including broken bones and head trauma. However, as the couple's son [told *WABC,*](<https://abc7ny.com/traffic/strangers-rush-in-to-save-couple-trapped-under-burning-tanker/2540106/>) the video makes it clear they might not have made it out alive were it not for the selfless actions of complete and total strangers.

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)