An observant passerby pulled a man from a burning vehicle Wednesday morning.

Buddy Vines said he was driving south on Highway 145 at about 7 a.m. Wednesday when he noticed a wrecked car off the side of the road.

Apparently, the driver of the vehicle lost control and left the roadway, stopping after running into an embankment.

Vines said the scene caught his attention because the owner of the property, part of which also contains Headley’s Big Peach produce market, allows Vines to maintain a garden in the area.

“I turned in there to see what was going on, and he was just sitting in the car,” Vines said.

The vehicles’ tires were off the ground and spinning.

Vines noticed smoke coming from the vehicle and called Clanton Fire Department. Vines, a former firefighter with CFD, pulled the man from the vehicle.

“By the time I got him out of the car, it was completely in flames,” Vines said. “I had to just drag him to get him out of the car. I guess he would have just sat there.”

The driver of the vehicle was conscious but incoherent, Vines said.

CFD Chief David Driver said the driver, who was not injured in the accident or ensuing fire, was transported by RPS Ambulance to Shelby Baptist Hospital for evaluation.