Good Samaritans help pregnant mother after car crash

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Good Samaritans stepped in to help a pregnant woman and her family after witnesses say a tow truck slammed into their car.

The crash happened at the busy intersection of Princeton and Fresno Avenues Wednesday afternoon.

Witness Jermal McMahan isn't psychic, but he knew that a tow truck would crash even before it happened. "We're behind him, and we see him inching up to this light," McMahan said. "And the light is red, but he didn't stop."

He says the truck was only moving about 30 miles per hour when it sped through a red light, but it still wrapped a Honda Civic around a pole -- all while a pregnant woman was sitting in the passenger seat. "She was really scared," McMahan described. "And I didn't want her to go into labor right there. I didn't know her water had already broke."

He jumped into rescue mode and got her young child out of the back seat. Once McMahan handed the toddler off, he went back to the mother who was pinned in the car.

"I cut her seatbelt, and it relieved the stress on her stomach," McMahan said. "I held her face, and I said 'look at me don't look at anything else.'"

The mother was calm as first responders arrived, he said. Meanwhile, the husband, who had been driving, was in a state of shock. "When he got out of the car he just laid on the ground," McMahan recalled.

Neighbor Stephanie Delgado said her mom helped the husband and made sure their other child was okay. "I saw everybody come out, but no one did anything," Delgado said. "Except for that guy and my mom."

The wife had to deliver her baby in an emergency C-section operation at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. While the baby is okay, the woman is in critical condition, according to family.

While the woman recovers, the two Good Samaritan's said it only came natural to lend a helping hand to a young family in their time of crisis.

"It's just something you're supposed to do," McMahan said. "For other humans, as a human being."

Witnesses said the tow truck driver was cooperative at the time of the crash. It's unclear if he'll face charges.