The driver has been identified as 27-year-old Tyree Greenfield.
Police said a Dodge minivan was speeding when it hit a curb in the northbound, outer lanes of the Boulevard at 5th Street around 2:10 a.m. Friday.
"The vehicle jumped the curb and struck a tree stump- a large tree stump- and that tree stump caused the vehicle to overturn on its side, and then for some reason the vehicle caught fire and was engulfed in flames," according to Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.
The minivan crashed and burst into flames, which were shooting 20 feet into the air when police arrived to the scene.
Neighbors rushed over and were able to pull the male passenger from the minivan through the door window.
"They were breaking the glass out with like bats and rocks, and they pulled the one guy out," explained Jvan Simpson of Olney. "The car exploded again, and that's when it became engulfed in flames, and no one could do anything."
Neighbor Lamont Channell grabbed his baseball bat in an attempt to rescue to the driver.
"I was trying to break the windshield," Channell said. "I had to see death tonight. It's really crazy. It's insane. And I just want that guy and his family to get some closure at this point."
Neighbors said accidents are all too frequent at this location.
"People are constantly speeding. There's a dip right there, people don't know that, and when they ride right over it, you lose control," Simpson said.
The passenger was taken to the hospital in critical condition, with injuries to his legs and wrist.