The driver of an SUV involved in a fiery crash along Lougheed Highway in Pitt Meadows on Saturday night is still in serious condition in hospital.
The man was one of five people in the vehicle that was seen swerving across the eastbound lanes of Lougheed Highway before hitting a large metal transmission pole in front of the Boston Pizza at Meadowtown Centre just after 10:30 p.m.
The SUV flipped on its side and burst into flames on impact.
Bystanders were able to flip the vehicle back onto its tires before the fire engulfed the car and pull all five victims to safety.
The driver had life-threatening injuries.
Kris Gardner was on the scene just after the family were pulled to safety.
“I saw the flames and I thought, what in the world?” before she pulled over.
The occupational first aid Level 3 teacher didn’t know what was burning at first, but then realized it was a car.
She rushed over to where the driver was lying on the ground.
“When I got there, I checked his carotid pulse because someone said he’s breathing, he’s breathing,” said Gardner.
“He had what is called agonal breathing, which is when a person first goes into cardiac arrest, they may be breathing, but it is not real breathing,” Gardner explained.
She informed two nurses who were already helping the man that he had no pulse, and to continue CPR.
Then she went back to her car to retrieve oxygen that she keeps in her trunk.
When the ambulance showed up, paramedics immediately put an automated external defibrillator on the driver.
“When it first analyzed it said no shock advised, so they kept doing CPR. Then, basically, at that point, two minutes later, it analyzes again and then it said shock advised,” said Gardner, who said that was a good sign.
“Personally, I didn’t think he was going to survive, quite honestly. But the fact that it actually shocked him, I was like, ‘Oh, there’s a chance, he could maybe be saved possibly.’”