Authorities have praised “heroes” who came to the aid of several people caught up in a fiery multi-vehicle crash on the Sydney Harbour Bridge this morning.
All lanes have since been re-opened on the bridge, after a car flipped and burst into flames not long after 7am.
Dashcam footage of the crash has since emerged, showing both the lead-up and the collision.
In the footage, a car is seen travelling at speed down the Sydney Harbour Bridge, merging between lanes.
Trying to apparently overtake a truck, the car collides with a braked vehicle, before flipping over. A burst of flame is seen before the footage ends.
NSW police told 2GB radio presenter Ray Hadley the car that caused the Sydney Harbour Bridge crash is believed to have been stolen from the CBD this morning.
A Traffic Management Centre worker who was nearby and heard the crash raced to the scene and helped drag a van with a trapped man away from the fire.
Police said they were called to a three-vehicle crash on the Bradfield Highway at Millers Point at 7.10am.
Two of the drivers, a man and a woman, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The driver of a van had to be freed from his vehicle by emergency services, and was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The fire was extinguished by Fire and Rescue NSW but lengthy delays are expected to continue.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Giles Buchanan praised the rescuers.
“A number of bystanders and other emergency service workers who risked their lives to assist these patients are absolute heroes, we can’t thank them enough,” he said.
“One of the vehicles was well alight when we arrived on scene, it was an extraordinary effort to get the patient out of the vehicle safely.”
NSW Fire and Rescue Acting Superintendent Matt Sigmund revealed the quick thinking of a Traffic Management Centre worker had also helped save the trapped van driver.
“One of the traffic commanders came up to the incident in the very early stages, because he heard it, and actually dragged the van that had the person trapped in it away from the other vehicle that was on fire,” Mr Sigmund told Today.
