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Bystanders turn rescuers following fiery crash

A few caring people in Logan, Utah, are being called heroes for rushing toward flames after a crash.

A BMW hit a motorcycle and the bike slid under the car, trapping the biker under the car as the motorcycle caught fire. The entire scene was caught on video.

Bystanders lift car to save biker

Many passersby leaped into action, checking on the trapped rider and eventually teaming to lift the car to free him.

The biker, CBS News Correspondent Ben Tracy reported, was 21-year-old Brandon Wright. His uncle says he has only some broken bones, road rash -- and some frightening memories.

Tyle Riggs, Wright's uncle, told CBS News, "He does remember the crash happening and being under the car, spitting up blood and not being able to talk. And he said he was really scared when he wasn't able to talk and, at  some point after they pulled him out, and they started to interact with him, he was able to speak."

Late Tuesday, there was a posting on Brandon's Facebook page, saying, "Thank you for all your well-wishes, prayers and support. I am still in the (Intensive Care Unit). I'd like personally thank the brave heroes who saved my life."

On "The Early Show," some of those who rescued him -- Sgt. Jason Olsen of the Logan City Police Department, who was the first officer on the scene, and three students from Utah State University who helped lift the car -- shared what happened.

Kelsey Alder, a freshman at Utah State University, can be seen in the video checking on Wright.

She told "Early Show" co-anchor Chris Wragge, "The guy next to me told me he was breathing, so I went down to check on him. Yeah, it was pretty crazy to see him there, but like, I don't know, I had faith he would get out of there."

Olsen said he was, at first, concerned about the number of people crowding around the crash.

He said, "But when they had organized and it looked like their plan was going to work, you know, we wanted to get the people there, the victim out from under the car. Right after he was extracted, I was telling everybody not to drag him too far, and then got everybody away from the fire."

And what about the fire - weren't they afraid that the car could explode?

Abbass Al Sharif, a graduate student at the university, said he wasn't thinking about an explosion -- just helping Wright, trapped under the car.

"All I thought was, if we could just find a way to lift this car, maybe this guy would get a second chance to live, because from all the indications...it was like he had a chance. He was still breathing so that was all that pushed me to go ahead and give a helping hand."

James Odei, also a graduate student, added, "We are just human beings helping another human being to get another chance to live. You know, we were like, very hopeful, he is still alive. So we didn't think twice before going and helping Brandon."

Sgt. Olsen said things could have turned out very differently.

"I can't say enough about these people's willingness to get involved and help us," he said. "If they hadn't of done that, it could have turned out very differently. And, you know, what they overcome says a lot about their wanting to help somebody out and putting themselves at risk."

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