Bible recovered undamaged after car bursts into flames


A vehicle caught on fire and exploded on Tennessee State Route 385 Eastbound and Ridgeway Road, causing nearly everything in the car to be destroyed except a Bible, which was untouched in the front seat.

The Memphis Police Department responded to the scene around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, where a 2014 Jeep Laredo left the roadway and went up in flames after a car swiped the Jeep, forcing the car to spin out of control.

Eugene McNiel was only about 20 yards away when he saw the crash happened. Another car apparently clipped the Jeep, causing it to spin out of control.

"I jumped out of my truck -- that's the fastest I've ever ran," McNiel said. "I didn't care. I wanted to save that man's life because I don't want to see (anybody) get burned up in (a) car."

According to authorities, an MPD officer and Good Samaritans were able to pull the trapped driver out of the burning vehicle before it exploded and later recovered the undamaged bible.

"That is God," McNiel said. "You don't believe? (Then) I don't know what to say."

The driver of the Jeep was transported to Regional One with non-critical injuries.

MPD said everyone in the car is going to be okay.