Newport Couple Save Fiery Car Crash Victim's Life

South Kingstown, RI — Joey Ehrhard and his girlfriend, Lia Costa-Pierce, were driving home to Newport after their shift at the Matunuck Oyster Bar Friday night when they saw a car in the woods on the side of Route 1 near the Pond Street exit.

Moments later, Ehrhard was pulling a disoriented and badly injured woman from her wrecked PT Cruiser as smoke billowed out and flames licked up from under the dashboard.

"I was was worried about moving her at first," Ehrhard said in an interview Saturday. "I didn't want to be responsible for paralyzing someone."

Glass was everywhere. The airbag had deployed. The driver's side of the car was totally smashed, so he would have to pull her from out the rear passenger side door.

"Smoke was dumping into the car," he said. "The car was catching fire. I decided I had to get her out, very quick."

Now, South Kingstown Police say the young couple is responsible for saving the woman's life. The department plans to formally recognize them for heroism.

For Erhard, "I just stopped and did what I'd want anyone to do if I were in her position," he said.

He said he was still shaken up the next day.

"If it weren't for the fire, I wouldn't have really tried to pull her out," he said. "I'd have kept talking to her and waiting for emergency crews at that point."

The victim was transported to South County Hospital, which happens to be just more than 1,500 feet from the crash scene, and later brought to Rhode Island Hospital with serious injuries. Police did not release any information about the crash on Saturday, but the victim is expected to survive.

Ehrhard, 23, said it was before midnight when they saw the car in the woods. It's a route he drives every day, and it's not uncommon to see cars pulled over on Route 1. But this car was deeper in the woods, about 10 to 20 yards in. Other cars had whisked by the scene already. At this hour, the stretch of Route 1 is fairly busy with traffic from restaurants in Wakefield and Narragansett emptying out.

"I jumped out," he said. Costa-Pierce called 911. The decision to pull the victim from the car was made with guidance from dispatchers. They talked them through the situation.

"They reassured me it was OK to get her out first. If the car is starting to burn, get her out," Ehrhard said.

Ehrhard said he's "not really a big guy," but adrenaline was pumping. He said he was able to climb in and pull the victim out of her seat, over the center console, and out the rear door. Police seemed to arrive seconds later. He's glad there was only one person in the car. He wonders what would have happened had he showed up a few minutes later.

"They got there as quickly as I hoped they would," he said. "[The police officers] emptied three fire extinguishers on the [fire] and didn't kill it by the time the fire department came."

A student at the University of Rhode Island, Ehrhard is studying marine biology. He grew up in New Jersey and has lived in the Ocean State since 2010.

"I hope that she has a speedy recovery," he said. "I hope the best for her."

For the victim's family, the best for her just happened. They can be found at the Matunuck Oyster Bar on Friday night.