A 19-year-old driver allegedly going over 100 mph was seriously injured Wednesday evening after losing control of his car and crashing near the Oakland Hills, according to the Oakland Fire Department.
The crash was reported at about 6:50 p.m., when the vehicle veered off Interstate 580 near the Highway 13 exit, struck a tree and spun around before catching fire. Good Samaritans were able to extinguish the small blaze before fire crews arrived, OFD spokesman Michael Hunt said.
Despite the quick actions of passing motorists, it took firefighters about 30 minutes to extricate the driver, Hunt said. The damage to the vehicle, believed to be a Mercedes, and where it came to rest on an embankment, made it difficult for crews to immediately provide aid to the driver.
His condition was not immediately known, but authorities said he was speaking after the crash.
He was believed to have been going at least 100 mph before crashing, which is well above the speed limit for that stretch of road.