Good Samaritan saves small child from burning car in deadly Anoka Co. crash

LINWOOD, Minn. (KMSP) - A Good Samaritan saved a small child from a burning pickup truck after it crashed head on with an SUV in Anoka County Tuesday morning. The small child was the sole survivor of the crash, which killed two other people.

According to the Anoka County Sheriff’s office, the pickup truck reportedly drifted over the center lane of Viking Boulevard NE near Lindwood Township into the path of the oncoming crossover SUV. After colliding with the SUV, the pickup truck started on fire. 

Thomas Rush, 35, of Grandy witnessed the crash and got out of his vehicle to help the victims. Rush discovered a small child seat belted in the backseat of the pickup and pulled the child to safety. By the time he had gotten the child to safety, the rest of the truck was engulfed in flames.

Both the 73-year-old female driver of the pickup from Columbus, Minn. and the 64-year-old driver of the SUV from Mound, Minn. died in the crash. The identities of the victims and the Good Samaritan have not been released.

The Anoka County Sheriff’s office is investigating the crash and the Minnesota State Patrol is reconstructing the scene of the accident.