Three quick-thinking Long Island men rescue driver from burning car

Three Long Island men rescued a driver after she crashed into a utility pole, dragging her out of the burning car and applying a tourniquet to slow the bleeding.

FORT SALONGA, N.Y. (PIX11) – Three Long Island men are praised for jumping into action and rescuing a driver after she crashed into a utility pole.

A drive back home turned into a rescue mission for Michael Susinno.

“I was stopped at the light down the road I could see from across the intersection that had just crashed into a utility pole,“ Susinno said.

It happened on Bread and Cheese Hollow Road in Salonga. As he pulled alongside the car, he realized the driver was still inside, and that’s when he called 911. The operator asked him if the vehicle was sparking.

“I said no, it was not, and then it was at that moment the hood of the car caught on fire,” he said.

With the help of another unidentified man, he got out of his vehicle and pulled the driver, identified as Tempestt Harris-Buckner, out of the 2021 Hyundai Elantra vehicle.

“The two of us dragged her across the street and set her down safely, and it was at that point the car became fully engulfed in flames,” Susinno said.

“We could feel the heat of the fire, and there were popping noises and small explosions happening at the time,” said Michael Pitre, a third man who didn’t hesitate to help out and put to good use his CPR and first aid training “I looked down to assess her injuries and noticed that she had a severe laceration that was right below her knee that extended to her ankle.”

He said the driver was losing a lot of blood and knew he needed to act quickly.

“I knew that a tourniquet was the best option. Luckily, someone nearby had a belt and handed it to me. It was a nylon belt that I applied to her right above her knee and tightened to slow the bleeding, and it did,” Pitre said.

Susinno, a Northport high school orchestra director, asked the driver for her name to distract her. Then, he realized she was a familiar face.

“I said I don’t know if you remember me. I know you, and I know your brother and your whole family; you play the cello. That was the moment she opened her eyes and started being more communicative,” he recalled.

The road where the crash happened is very busy, especially during rush hour. The two men didn’t think twice about risking their lives to help the driver.

“This really wasn’t about anyone else but her. No one was thinking about the car, what might happen to us, or if we can get injured,” he said.

The driver was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Meanwhile, both men hope this experience sets an example for people to jump in and act.

“Waiting for even or five seconds can make the difference between saving a life or losing a life,” Susinno said.

"I think the main message here is always do what you would want done for yourself,” Pitre added.