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Man Helps Save Driver From Burning Truck In Worcester

WORCESTER (CBS) - A 51-year-old Auburn man is in critical condition after crashing his truck into a guardrail at Lincoln Plaza in Worcester.

Police said it happened behind the Lowes hardware store around 1 pm Thursday. The driver had a medical incident and lost control of the truck hit some stone pavers and a pallet of mulch before crashing into the guardrail and a fire hydrant, according to Worcester Police.

The accelerator kept the back tires spinning causing the truck to catch on fire.

Worcester fire
A pickup truck caught fire at a Lowe's in Worcester (WBZ-TV)

"As you know when a vehicle starts, the flames were up to here so it was going," said Shawn Hibbard.

Hibbard, who is a contractor, was working on some nearby front loaders when he heard a bang then saw white smoke and the truck on fire. He ran over to help another man trying to save the trapped driver.

Worcester crash
A pickup truck crashed into a guardrail at a Lowe's in Worcester (WBZ-TV)

"So then he came over and asked me if I had a fire extinguisher and I threw him the fire extinguisher, he blasted the fire out and right at that moment a police officer showed up," said Hibbard.

He is glad he was there, but stops short of calling himself a hero.

Shawn Hibbard
Shawn Hibbard (WBZ-TV)

"No, right place, right time," Said Hibbard.

The victim was taken to a local hospital. Worcester Police Crash Reconstruction and the Worcester Police Crime Scene responded to the scene.

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