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RIDGEFIELD, WA (KPTV) — One person was killed in a fiery crash along Interstate 5 near Ridgefield Tuesday night, and an Oregon man who stopped to help recently learned he knew the victim.
Steven Gorbet was driving home from a hunting trip with his wife when he says they came across a fire on the side of the highway. They also saw another car on the shoulder so they stopped to help.
Then they realized the fire was actually another car from the crash.
Gorbet says he tried to put the fire out with an extinguisher. He then broke the window and tried to get the victim out of the car.
“The flames got way too big. They came in the cab, they took all the hair off my arm and some of my beard. And at that point, I can’t do it,” said Gorbet. “Pretty much got out of there as fast as I could and went to the side of the road and the car exploded.”
Gorbet realized in that explosion the victim did not survive.
Washington State Patrol confirms a two-vehicle crash ended with one car down an embankment and caught fire, killing the only occupant.
WSP has not released the name of the victim and said they will when they get a positive ID from the Medical Examiner.
Gorbet posted the traumatic experience on Facebook. He said a member of the victim’s family saw the post and reached out to him.
He said he then realized that he actually knew the man he tried to save.
WSP said the driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash was not injured.
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