A Bridgeport man pulled a driver from a crashed car at the intersection of Park Avenue and Cottage Street shortly before it burst into flames.

Witnesses say the driver slammed into a tree, and he remained conscious but couldn't get out of the vehicle. The victim was pinned beneath the steering wheel when his car crumpled after the impact.

Carl Nesmith and another good Samaritan helped pull him free as others stood and watched. 

Minutes later, the car burst into flames.

"It was just a reaction," Nesmith says of his deed. "Nobody would help the guy. He's on fire, and they're just taking pictures of him. That ain't right."

At the scene of the accident, debris remained on the ground Thursday afternoon. There was bark missing from the tree, and a charred piece of the car's trunk lay nearby.