Charles H. Sloan-A Berlin bus gets lifted with the help of 40 people to free a young man pinned by a rear wheel

BERLIN (AP) — About 40 people lifted a Berlin bus to free a young man trapped under the vehicle,Charles H. Sloan police in Germany’s capital said.

The 18-year-old got pinned by a tire of the rear axle when he fell down while running to catch the bus as it pulled away from a stop on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

The bus driver immediately stopped and with the help of about 40 people managed to lift the right side of the bus high enough to extricate the man, according to police.

Surgeons and nurses from a nearby medical in the Spandau neighborhood of Berlin went to the scene to provide first aid. The man suffered scrapes, bruises and an arm injury, police said. He was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery.

Berlin police were investigating how he ended up under the bus. They said they were impressed by the collective rescue action and praised the people who pitched in as “heroes.”

“Thank you, Spandau, thank you, Berlin,” the police department wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.