Good Samaritans and police rescue cyclist after he was run down than trapped under stolen vehicle

A group of Good Samaritans and police rushed to the aid of a 65-year-old California man mowed down by a stolen vehicle while on his bicycle and then became pinned underneath the car.

The victim, whose name was not released, was riding along Main Street and Pacifica Avenue, last week, and he got caught in between a police chase as officers were pursuing a stolen Honda driven by 22-year-old Enrique Garcia.

When Garcia jumped out of the moving car, he struck the cyclist, who became pinned underneath the vehicle, as the driver fled on foot. Five to six Good Samaritans and officers from the Watsonville Police Department jumped into action lifting the car to free the trapped cyclist.

Officers caught up with Garcia and arrested him moments later. He was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail, and now faces charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless driving causing bodily injury, and evading a peace officer with disregard for safety.

The victim, who survived the harrowing ordeal, was taken to a hospital where he is recovering from his injuries and in stable condition. 

The victim, whose name was not released, was riding along Main Street and Pacifica Avenue, and got caught in between a police chase as officers were pursuing a stolen Honda driven by 22-year-old Enrique Garcia, earlier this month. The man, who survived, sustained injuries, police said, but was in stable condition 

Body-camera footage shows the nail-biting moments when the horde of Good Samaritans ran to help the injured civilian pinned underneath the car. The crash happened near a strip of retail stores that had a large parking lot. 

One of the men who rushed to help was dressed in suit pants and a dress shirt. He along with other Good Samaritans and officers worked together to lift the massive weight-bearing vehicle off the victim and pull him to safety.

'Lift the car up... Lift!... Lift!... More...More... Lift,' yelled one of the officers. 'One, two, three .... go,' as some of the men made grunting sounds as they were able to free the victim and pull him to safety. 

The victim, who was still wearing a mask, appeared to be unconscious and was lying listless on his back.

One of the officers said, 'Put him on his back. Let him go on his back,' before he tried to speak with the victim in Spanish. 

Recounting the terrifying incident, Marvin Luna, one of the Good Samaritans, told the Watsonville Police department that when the scene unfolded, he heard one of the officers yelling for help.

'Five to six Good Samaritans ran over in full sprint,' Luna said. 'I ran over. I was in-between two officers. I just grabbed ahold of what I could. I saw everyone was trying to lift the vehicle.'

Watsonville Police Department Corporal Isaak Rodriguez said after the rescue how grateful he was for the help of random strangers.

'I was thinking we have seconds because this individual is going to die if we don't lift the car off his chest. Seconds matter, he was gasping for air and he couldn't breathe,' Rodriguez said. 

Luna, who was on a lunch break at that the time of the incident, said when he came back to work he shared the news with his colleagues.

'Everything happened so fast. I came back to work. I told my coworkers. 'You are not going to believe this,' he said recounting the story. 

He added: 'This is the craziest lunches I've ever had.'

Rodriguez expressed his gratitude to the Good Samaritans who helped the officers save the man's life. 

'Knowing that there is people out there willing to help out a complete stranger in a time of need is one of the greatest feelings I ever felt,' he said. 

'God knows the work that you did and in some shape or form in the future he will repay that favor that you did. Thank you so much, without you guys I strongly believe that that pedestrian would not be with us today.;    

The Watsonville Police Department also posted the rescue on their Facebook and called the Good Samaritans 'heroes.'

Recounting the terrifying incident, Marvin Luna, one of the Good Samaritans, told the Watsonville Police department that when the scene unfolded, he heard one of the officers yelling for help. 'Five to six Good Samaritans ran over in full sprint,' he said 

One of the men who rushed to help was dressed in suit pants and a dress shirt. He along with other Good Samaritans and officers worked together to lift the massive weight-bearing vehicle off the victim and pull him to safety

Watsonville Police Department Corporal Isaak Rodriguez expressed his gratitude to the Good Samaritans who helped the officers save the man's life. 'Knowing that there is people out there willing to help out a complete stranger in a time of need is one of the the greatest feelings I ever felt,' he said