VIDEO: Good Samaritans help woman trapped under car

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Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Good Samaritans save woman trapped under car
ABC's Nora Muchanic has the latest details.

HAMILTON TWP., New Jersey -- Dramatic dash cam video shows good Samaritans saving a woman who was pinned under her car this weekend in Atlantic County, New Jersey.

"Oh my gosh there was the lady right under the car. It was on top of her," said one of those rescuers, Maria Gallagher of Hammonton.

She was one of those seven people who helped police lift a car from a woman who was trapped underneath. She had been ejected and the vehicle landed upside on top of her.

Maria Gallagher was among seven good Samaritans seen in dash cam video who helped police lift a car from a woman who was trapped underneath after she was ejected and the vehicle landed upside down on top of her. (click on the video player above to see the dash cam video)

"I was just complete panic, like we have to get this lady out from under here. 'Oh my gosh she's not going to be able to breathe, the car's crushing her,'" recalled Gallagher.

Gallagher, her husband and her teenage daughter were first on the scene Sunday afternoon near mile marker 22 on Weymouth Road.

Michael Braunius, 19, passed the accident and joined in the effort to free the trapped woman.

"We'd lift it and then the car would have to come back down on her because we couldn't hold it up. So it was as fast as we could get her out we tried getting her out," said Braunius.

While Hamilton Township police Sgt. Mike Virga helped the good Samaritans lift the car, Sgt. Mike Schnurr pulled her out from underneath.

The victim, 48-year-old Kellie Felker of Shamong, remains hospitalized in critical condition with multiple broken bones, but is expected to survive.

"That's a huge relief to me because at the moment I didn't know if she was going to make it," said Braunius.

"Everybody just came together to help somebody. You know there are still good people out there," Gallagher said.

Gallagher, who held the victims hand until an ambulance arrived, had back surgery last year. She aggravated her injury helping to lift that car, but she says she's not focusing on that.

"A lot of pain but that's okay, it was worth it," she said.

Police Chief Stacy Tappeine says he's proud of everyone involved, and said it was an excellent example of police and community members working together to save a life.