Rescuers lift car to save jogger's life in Drexel Hill
DREXEL HILL, Pa. (WPVI) -- A jogger is alive after quick thinking first responders managed to find the super human strength to lift a car off her following a tragic car accident.
"Their actions saved her life. Period," Upper Darby Police Superintendent Mike Chitwood said.
Chitwood says it all happen around 8 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of State Road and Harper.
A 38-year-old woman was jogging when she was struck by a Toyota Camry being driven by an 86-year-old man who was on his way to church.
"I would definitely say that it was just a tragic accident and he never saw her," Chitwood said.
Chitwood says three Upper Darby police officers and two firefighters arrived on the scene minutes later.
Resident Chris Mellis was already there trying to get the car jack out of the trunk to lift the car up.
"And one police officer said, 'We don't have enough time, we need to lift this car up' and he said, 'Get over here.' So I got over and five of us lifted it up just enough for them to slide the young lady out from the middle of the car," Mellis said.
The woman was rushed to Lankenau Hospital in extremely critical condition.
"She's improving, I mean, miracles happen and she's improving right now, so we hope and we pray that she recovers," Mellis said.
The dramatic story has people wondering how they managed to find the superhuman strength to lift a 3,000 pound car off the victim.
"Just strength-wise when something like that happens and people that get the strength to just pull somebody out and lift the car up is amazing to me," Tammi Jeffries of Drexel Hill, Pa. said.
"I think adrenaline kicks in and they did what the needed to do and thanks to their quick thinking, they probably saved her life," Nicole Moore of Drexel Hill said.
"I've been a police officer a long time and you don't see this type of action, heroic action," Chitwood said.
Chitwood says he's hoping to unite the woman with the men that saved her at some point.
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