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A Toyota Prius caught fire around 1 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 5, after it slid off of Southwest Cutoff, crashed into a boulder, and flipped onto its roof, the Worcester Police Department said. The driver was knocked unconscious in the wreck.
Officer Marisa Gaspar spotted debris from the crash as she patrolled a nearby area and followed it to the wreck site, the Telegram & Gazette reported.
Gaspar rushed over and, with the help of a bystander, pulled open the Prius' door. The seatbelt trapped the driver inside, but the flames kept them from reaching in to unbuckle it. Gaspar tried through it with a knife, but the blade broke, the report said. The helpful civilian ran back to his car and grabbed another knife from his car. Worcester police didn't mention the civilian in its release.
Officer Michael Prizio arrived around this time and helped them cut away the belt. They pulled the driver to safety just as the fire overtook the entire car, the police department said.
Responders rushed the driver to a nearby hospital. He was in critical condition, the news outlet said.
Investigators believe speed was a factor in the crash, but police haven't said if they plan to file charges.
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