Good Samaritans save children hurt in Grand Prairie crash

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - A Good Samaritan, his co-worker, an off-duty firefighter and others worked together to rescue children who were pinned under an SUV after it was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Highway 360 in Grand Prairie over the weekend.

Police found the truck involved but are still looking for the hit-and-run driver. All of the family members who were taken to the hospital have been released except a little boy who was badly hurt.

Richard Poole, a father of three, was one of the Good Samaritans who rushed down into a ditch Saturday night along Highway 360 to help a family of 9 who had just been in a violent crash near Lynn Creek Parkway.

"That's when we see the little girl trapped and little boy trapped,” he recalled. “The main thing was to get those kids to safety get out before the SUV caught on fire. There were trees and brush and everything. It didn't matter."

Police say a truck driving southbound slammed into the back of this Red Honda Pilot that was carrying the two adults and seven children. It lost control, clipped the car next to it, flipped over several times and eventually landed in a ditch. Two of the kids were thrown out as it flipped and were trapped underneath.

An off-duty Arlington firefighter was among the good Samaritans who had to physically lift the Honda to pull the kids out.

“Once we started lifting the car, he pulled the little boy out,” Poole said. “And my coworker couldn't get the little girl out because her legs were dangling underneath the car. He told us we need it higher and pulled her out and made sure no kids were under the car and everybody was safe."

All nine of them were taken to area hospitals. The little boy was taken by helicopter.

“Adrenaline. It's little kids. I mean, think about if that was your little girl,” Poole said. “You're gonna be caught. What if that was your kids if someone hit your kids like that?"

Grand Prairie police say they identified and seized the truck driven by the man who ran from the scene. They're working now to identify the driver.