(WXYZ) — A driver is recovering after crashing into a lake in Brighton Township over the weekend, thanks to the quick actions of several good Samaritans who pulled him from the sinking vehicle.
Watch Whitney's full story in the video player below:
The crash happened Sunday just after 6 p.m. on Hilton Road between Flint Rd. and Oak Knoll Dr. when the driver, who authorities believe was experiencing a medical emergency, lost control of his vehicle.
Gerry Kmet was driving home from church when he witnessed the incident unfold.
"We had a service at 5 o'clock. So we were just getting out of that and just looking to go home," Kmet said.
The Brighton resident noticed a car pull out in front of him on Hilton Road and begin swerving erratically.
"First he went to the right off the road, then he went off the road to left, then he went back off the road to the right. At that point, he crossed over into oncoming traffic again and he started speeding up," Kmet said.
Web extra: Gerry Kmet talks about jumping into action to help with water rescue
Kmet says the driver then accelerated, crashed through a fence, went airborne and landed in Woodland Lake.
"I hurried up and pulled over, turned to my wife and said, 'looks like I'm going swimming,'" Kmet said.
Kmet was one of several good Samaritans who stopped and immediately jumped into action. After struggling with a locked door, he managed to access the car's back door and pull the unconscious driver to safety before the vehicle completely submerged.
Police and fire crews arrived minutes later and transported the driver to the hospital in critical condition. Fire Chief Michael O'Brian says that driver's face had begun to submerge in the water just before he was pulled out.
"When a car is in a body of water, they're front-end heavy unless it's an EV. A typical gas vehicle is front heavy and it starts to tip down, and that's exactly what happened here," said Chief O'Brian of the Brighton Area Fire Authority.
As of Tuesday, authorities were unable to provide an updated condition on the driver, but Chief O'Brian says they believe the man was experiencing a medical emergency at the time of the crash.
"The car was submerged when we got there, so the water was completely over the roof. Time was very, very critical," O'Brian said.
While reluctant to call himself a hero, Kmet says he is thankful he was in the right place at the right time.
"It was a God wink, no doubt about it. He had me there for a reason," Kmet said."(The driver) could have lost his life. I think he's got a second chance of life, better grasp it."
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