VIDEO: State trooper pulls Maryland man from fiery Tesla during winter storm in Central Virginia

CAROLINE COUNTY. Va. (WRIC) -- A state trooper pulled a Maryland man from his burning Tesla after he crashed along Interstate 95 in Caroline County during Friday's winter storm.

The crash took place at about 7 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 5 -- amid Virginia's first snowfall of the season -- along I-95 North in Caroline County, according to a press release from Virginia State Police (VSP)

A 2024 Tesla Model Y, driven by 34-year-old Foday Kanu of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was moving north when it went off the left side of the road and struck a tree.

State trooper Sgt. S. Page said in an interview that, on the day of this crash, he was assigned to patrol Interstate 95.

Virginians should stay off the roads even once snow stops falling: VDOT

"I initially was trying to decide if I should go northbound or southbound on 95, and I was thinking I should just go southbound, because I wanted to check the rest area," he said. "But then something told me to go northbound."

It's this sense of intuition that put Page in the right place at the right time to witness the Tesla crash.

Dashcam from Page's patrol vehicle shows just how poor the road conditions were in the area at that time of morning. It also shows the moment when Page pulls up on the crash, with the Tesla having caught fire just seconds beforehand.

Dashcam footage of a Dec. 5 crash along Interstate 95 Northbound in Caroline County. (Video: Virginia State Police)

As seen in the footage, Page came to a stop on the shoulder, got out of his patrol vehicle and hurried through the snow to reach the wreck.

The Tesla's doors were locked and would not open when Page tried them. He said in his interview that he could hear the driver, Kanu, inside the car.

Henrico County home damaged after being hit by a car

Page proceeded to break open the window to gain access to Kanu. He then asked Kanu to sit back so he could cut the airbag. Once Page did so, he was able to reach Kanu and pull him out of the car.

"I dragged him -- I don't know, about 10 feet away from the car, until some other folks came and helped me out," Page said.

Page then checked the Tesla for any other occupants and saw that Kanu was the only person inside at the time of the crash.

In his interview, Page explained that he also asked the other bystanders who arrived to double-check behind him, as he wanted to "make sure there was absolutely nobody else in the car."

Three injured after shooting on Stockton Street in Richmond

"If I hadn't gone northbound, I don't know if he ... if anybody else was gonna stop," Page said.

Kanu was seriously hurt, but those injuries are not considered life-threatening. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

At this time, VSP believes poor weather conditions were the cause of this crash. The incident remains under investigation.