Caltrans employees pull man from car fire in Santa Paula

SANTA PAULA, Calif. -- Two Caltrans employees pulled a man from a vehicle car fire in Santa Paula on Monday morning.

On Monday around 11 a.m., a vehicle driving on Highway 126 traveled off the roadway and overturned. It rested on city streets.

The incident caused a small brush fire in the surrounding brushes.

Ventura County Fire Department responded with an engine.

Ventura CHP arrived on scene to help and access the incident.

CHP identified the driver to be a man, 42, of Santa Paula.

Before CHP and fire crews arrived, he was pulled out of the car by two nearby Caltrans employees.

Caltrans says Jesus Ortega and Christian Ayala, members of Caltrans' Santa Paula Landscape crew, were driving west on Highway 126 on rain patrol when they saw smoke coming from off the roadside near some trees.

Ortega and Ayala found the man hanging out from an overturned vehicle that was smoldering and pulled him away from the area before the vehicle caught on fire.

They called 911 and waited for local agencies to arrive.

CHP said the man fell asleep behind the wheel. He was the only person in the car.

He was transported to the hospital for minor injuries.