Man rescued from fully engulfed van after Oshawa crash

OSHAWA, Ont. – A 37-year-old Oshawa man is in hospital after being rescued from his crashed, burning van by a passerby and a police officer.

Durham regional police say the man was seriously injured when his minivan struck a concrete bridge just before 4 a.m. Wednesday in Oshawa, east of Toronto.

Police say the minivan was southbound on Ritson Road South when it crossed the northbound lanes and struck an underpass at Highway 401 before catching fire.

The driver was pulled from the vehicle – which was fully engulfed in flames – by a passerby who stopped to help and an officer who had arrived at the scene.

The man was transported to a Toronto-area trauma centre with serious injuries.

The road was closed for several hours while evidence was collected at the scene and police say the investigation is continuing.