A 16-year-old from Washburn was pulled from a burning car by a resident after the car crashed into a tree in the northern Maine town of Wade on Saturday.

Maine State Police said the teenager suffered serious injuries in the crash.

About 8:15 a.m., the teen was traveling east on New Dunntown Road at high speed when he lost control of the car and it went off the road, hitting a large tree, police said. The car was nearly split in two by the impact, police said, and then caught fire.

Damian Languell, who lives nearby, heard the crash and tried to put out the fire, police said. When it was clear he would be unable to put it out, police said, he cut the teenager’s seatbelt and pulled him out the rear window of the car, dragging him to safety just before fire spread throughout the entire car.

The driver was taken to Aroostook Medical Center and then flown by plane to a larger medical facility, which was not identified by state troopers.

An investigation of the crash is underway, state police said.


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