A Mattapoisett man owes his life to three bystanders who dragged him out of a car seconds before the vehicle burst into flames on Sunday evening.

Richard Mello and his wife Marijane were driving behind the operator of a 2009 Audi A4 when it crashed. The accident happened on the off ramp that connects I-495 to I-195’s westbound lane in Wareham at approximately 5 p.m.

At the time, the Mellos were heading home to Dartmouth after a leisurely Sunday drive, singing along to 1960s rock on the radio, when the scene unfolded.

“My husband pulled over immediately,” said Marijane. “He ran across the off ramp and I dialed 911. He yelled to me that he couldn’t get the man out.”

There was smoke at first, then flames darted out from beneath the dashboard and under the hood.

Marijane flagged down passing cars and asked for a fire extinguisher while Richard, a former Dartmouth firefighter, struggled to free the 56-year-old crash victim.

The crash destroyed the car’s electrical system making it impossible to move the driver’s seat. The impact had pushed the car’s firewall against the victim’s legs, pinning him.

When flames over a foot high enveloped the car’s hood, Marijane told her husband to run. Richard refused, instead remaining by the still-conscious victim’s side.

“I think I did what most people would do in that situation, help somebody,” Richard said. “The fire was getting more intense, and when you’re talking to someone, you don’t want to leave him behind.”

Two other – currently unidentified – bystanders arrived at the flaming wreck as Richard batted the victim’s coat sleeves, which were burning.

Based on his firefighting training, Richard said he was briefly torn about moving the victim. First responders are taught not to move people with potential neck injuries, barring extreme situations.

“You don’t want to injure someone further,” he said. “At the same time, the car is on fire and you have to do what you have to do.”

Using his Swiss Army knife, Richard cut the seatbelt. Together, the three men pulled the man, whose ankles appeared to be broken, out of the car and away from the fire – with moments to spare.

“Before we got him to the ground the car was fully involved,” Richard said.

Marijane agreed.

“After they pulled [the victim] out of the car it was a matter of seconds before the car exploded,” Marijane said. “The three of them together saved his life.”

The couple are both lifelong Dartmouth residents, having met one summer at Lincoln Park. There, Richard worked games on the midway and Marijane waitressed at a restaurant in the former amusement park.

This wasn’t Richard’s first time responding to an emergency. He served for six years as a call firefighter with Dartmouth Fire District 3 in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

State Police arrived a few minutes after the victim had been moved. Firefighters then extinguished the blaze.

Richard and the responding officers shook hands after the incident was under control, according to Marijane. The Mellos then finished their drive home.

According to a State Police spokesman, the accident is still under investigation. The victim, who has not been identified, was flown to Rhode Island Hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries. Based on eyewitness accounts, State Police believe the accident occurred because the driver was allegedly driving recklessly and fast.

In addition to her husband’s quick thinking, Marijane credits the actions of the other Good Samaritans for preventing a tragedy.

“Had those two men not been brave enough to stop and help my husband, both he and the driver would have been dead,” she said. “It’s miraculous, really. There’s a lot of brave and helpful people in the world.”

The Mellos said they weren’t aware of the driver’s current condition. They don’t have plans to contact him in order to respect his privacy.

Looking back on the event Tuesday afternoon, Richard was modest about his involvement.

“I don’t want to overplay or underplay what I did,” he said. “I did what anybody would do or could do.”