The bystanders had to act quickly. A motorcyclist had just collided with a car and was pinned beneath the flaming wreckage.
Disregarding their own safety, they lined up on one side of the car. And slowly, they managed to lift the 1800kg car just high enough for one rescuer to pull Brandon Wright to safety.
They are being called 'heroes' and 'angels' - their few minutes of heroics was captured on video and has gone viral on the internet.
"I'm just very thankful for everyone that helped me," Wright said from his hospital bed. "They saved my life."
The crash happened near Utah State University in Logan, north of Salt Lake City. Wright was headed to study at a computer lab; the BMW was pulling out of a car park.
Assistant police chief Jeff Curtis said tyre and skid marks on the road showed that Wright laid the bike down and slid along the road before colliding with the car.
"Every one of those people put their lives in danger," he added, "but you can only speculate what the outcome would have been if they hadn't lifted that car."
Wright's uncle, Tyler Riggs, recounted what Wright told his family about Monday's accident. He said Wright had tried to protect himself by laying his bike down.
The bike hit the car's bonnet and bounced to the ground, while Wright, who was not wearing a helmet, slid under the car; then both vehicles burst into flames.
The video, shot by university staffer Chris Garff who had seen the smoke, shows a crowd gathering around the burning wreckage as flames shoot into the air.
Some of the rescuers are wearing construction helmets and safety vests, others school backpacks, and at least one police officer is in the crowd. They quickly place their hands on the car and start to rock it until it tilts up.
Once the car is on its wheels, a construction worker in a hardhat and a lime green T-shirt can be seen dragging a spread-eagled Wright from under the car.
Two officers then move in with fire extinguisher. A few minutes pass before paramedics start to provide Wright with medical care. It's unclear whether they had just arrived or whether they were waiting for the scene to be declared safe.
Riggs said Wright remembered details from the crash and told his family he could see and feel the flames.
"He remembers being under the car, spitting up blood and not being able to talk," Riggs said.
He said Wright's family was grateful to the "angels who came to his aid".
"They risked their lives doing it," he said. "It restores your faith in humanity."
Despite not wearing a helmet, Wright suffered no head trauma, but has two broken legs, a broken pelvis, road rash, burns on his left foot and abrasions to his forehead.
The driver of the BMW, John Johnson, a Utah State University business school official, suffered only minor injuries.
Riggs said Wright had not seen the video of the rescue - but you can, at http://youtu.be/PUxPWx4YW20. - AP