DETROIT – A man tried to rescue two people Saturday night from a fiery crash police believe was caused by drag racing.
Original Story: 2 killed in fiery Detroit crash after vehicles collide
The crash sent an SUV into a church on Detroit’s east side. The vehicle burst into flames after it struck Second Timothy Baptist Church, located on the corner of Warren Avenue and Maxwell Street.
A makeshift memorial could be found on the steps of the church Sunday.
One man who watched the crash unfold said he tried to do everything he could to help.
Cell phone footage taken near captured the harsh aftermath of a car crash early Sunday morning. Antwuan Dawson recorded the video shortly after the collision happened.
“I was just sitting in the bed and I heard the boom. When I walked to the corner, all I see are flames,” said Dawson.
Instinctively, Dawson said he pulled out his cell phone, but after the 36 second video was done being recorded, he tried his best to get the two people inside out.
“The flames were so hot. I didn’t want to risk getting burned all up,” Dawson added. “Like, I was there. I tried.”
Sadly, the crash was fatal with a man and woman not surviving the impact. The images of the flames will now haunt Dawson for the rest of his life.
“She was trying to get her seatbelt off. She wasn’t saying anything or nothing. When she looked, that’s when the flames of the fire caught her hair and got her whole face like this,” Dawson recalled.
Sunday morning, the church had to cancel services because of the damage to the entrance and strong smell of smoke.
“It was a beautiful structure,” said church member, Bielinda Jackson. “Now, we have to go ahead and see if we can get everything together.”
In the mean time, Bielinda Jackson will continue to pray for all those involved as the clean up takes place.
“I’m just in disbelief that this actually happened,” Jackson said. “I’m praying for the family, especially the two people that lost their lives.”
“I wouldn’t want nobody life to end that way, not even my own. That’s bold how your life can end from just riding in the passenger seat of a car,” Dawson concluded
At some point it was believed that a baby was in the car, but police said that was not the case at all, but are still investigating what led to the crash happening.
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