Drivers in fiery Royal Oak 696 crash pull one other out just before explosion

Victims of a crash on 696 in Royal Oak on Monday afternoon pulled each other from their vehicles only moments before the fiery explosion, witnesses say.

The incident involved a semi, an SUV and a Malibu, and while it's not yet clear how the crash happened, witnesses say the scene was dramatic.

RELATED: Massive fire burns on 696 in Royal Oak after semi-truck, other cars crash

"When I came here, I saw the ladies pulling each other out of the truck -- out of the Durango on the side of the wall and after that, the tires blew up and it started exploding. The truck fully exploded," said Jacob Clark.

Clark had been driving by on an overpass when he saw the crash down below.

He ran down the service drive to see if he could help and saw those involved in the crash helping each other.

"Really dramatic. They got each other out. By the time they got each other out it fully exploded. The tires blew up, everything. Flames everywhere. Smoke, black smoke - everything," Clark said. "I started praying, hoping everyone got out alive."

Royal Oak Fire Lt. Doug Stark says initially, they didn't think everybody was out.

"It came in as an entrapment so we thought it may be but they were all out under the overpass here when we got here," he said.

The best news was that everybody got out, so emergency crews just had to focus on that raging fire.

"It was intense, and it's the hottest day of the year so far, so it's hot," Stark said, calling it nothing short of a miracle everyone walked away safely.

FOX 2's Amy Lange reports it appears a few of the women went with EMTs to be checked out.