BAILEYTON, Tenn. (WJHL) – A driver in Baileyton is alive thanks to the work of a Good Samaritan and first responders.

A driver drove off an embankment near Interstate 81 in Baileyton Monday due to a medical emergency. Authorities said the vehicle also hit a light pole.

Natasha Gray owns an antique shop about 50 yards away from where the crash occurred. After witnessing the scary event, Gray drove over to the scene with the intention of helping the driver in any way she could.

“I got out and went down and just tried to assess if he was hurt,” Gray said.

Gray stated that the driver seemed out of it and confused due to the medical emergency. She and another onlooker called 911 for first responders. Gray noticed smoke coming from the car shortly after, which she said increased her sense of urgency.

“Just like in a movie, you see smoke and fire in a vehicle, and the next thing you expect is for something to explode,” Gray said.

Baileyton Police Chief Joshua Ferguson then arrived on the scene. He said he quickly noticed the medical emergency and the immediate need to get the driver out of the vehicle due to the increase in flames.

However, he did not have his fire extinguisher with him due to it needing service.

“I noticed out of the corner of my eye that I’m seeing red flames,” Ferguson said. “I hurried up and ran up to my car not realizing that I just sent my fire extinguisher in for service.”

Luckily, Gray keeps a fire extinguisher in her store. She ran over to her store and brought it back to the scene. The extinguisher did enough for the two to pull the driver from the vehicle.

The car reportedly went up in flames just seconds after the rescue. Without the help of Gray and her fire extinguisher, the pair said the situation could have turned deadly.

“If we hadn’t gotten the fire extinguisher, it definitely could’ve been a different story,” Gray said. “I’m grateful that we had one handy.”

Ferguson, who is also a member of the United Volunteer Fire Department, has spoken with the driver and said that he’s in good spirits.

The United Volunteer Fire Department, Mosheim Police Department and Greeneville-Greene County EMS all responded to the accident.