BEND, OR -- A Good Samaritan is credited for saving the life of a Bend man who drove off Highway 20, Monday night, causing his car to burst into flames. 

According to the Sheriff’s Office, 56-year-old Brian Larson drove down a 10' embankment near Old Bend-Redmond Highway, just after 7:30 p.m. Investigators say he was likely traveling at a low speed when his car high-centered on a dirt mound. 

A passerby pulled him from the vehicle while the tires were still spinning, just as the car caught fire. As deputies arrived, flames were spreading to brush and trees. The blaze was quickly put out by Bend firefighters, but not before heavily damaging the car. 

Deputies say Larson was very intoxicated and, after determining he was not hurt in the crash, he was arrested for DUII.