BUTLER TWP — The Honda CR-V driven by Ryan Davidson, 36, of Butler would have been fully engulfed in flames 30 seconds after three heroic first responders pulled him from the burning vehicle Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Davidson’s vehicle accelerated into a natural gas substation on the north side of Fairground Hill Road around 1 p.m., then crossed the road and struck an embankment on the south side.

At some point, the vehicle’s front end caught fire.

Lt. Matthew Pearson, of Butler Township Police, said Scott Frederick, the township’s public safety director, opened the door of the burning SUV and cut the seat belt over the unconscious Davidson before township officers Rachel Dovidio and William Dobson rushed in and pulled him from the SUV.

“His entire family is so eternally grateful for those three who saved my son,” Patty Zabicki, Davidson’s mother, said Friday morning. “They saved his life. There are no words to express our gratitude.”

She said her son’s face has second-degree burns, with the exception of the right side. His right arm and hand have third-degree burns.

Compounding his condition is the impact to his lungs from the burning foam and plastic inside the vehicle before he was pulled out.

“He is on a ventilator for breathing because of all the toxins in his lungs,” Zabicki said.

Dashcam footage from Dovidio’s patrol unit plays out the dramatic rescue as flames overtake the vehicle’s front end and interior.

Butler Ambulance crews and police placed Davidson onto a stretcher and ran him to the awaiting ambulance for transport to Butler Memorial Hospital.

Davidson immediately was flown to West Penn Hospital’s burn unit, where he remains in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator in the intensive care unit.

Pearson said the passenger’s seat and floorboards were on fire when the emergency services director and police reached the SUV.

“In the video, you can see when Scott opens the door, things fly out,” the lieutenant said of the pressure in the vehicle due to intense heat.

Pearson said he could not be more proud of Frederick, Dovidio and Dobson.

“All three did a great job getting him out of the vehicle as fast as they could,” he said. “They made it there just in time.”

Zabicki said her son was a longtime delivery person for China Palace restaurant on West Jefferson Street in Butler and was making the second of two deliveries when he hit the natural gas substation and hillside on Fairground Hill Road.

Pearson said witnesses report Davidson had stopped at the stop sign at the intersection of Fairground Hill Road and the entrances to Butler Senior High School and Butler Intermediate High School.

Davidson had a seizure shortly after stopping, likely stepped on the gas, and careened out of control, Pearson said.

Zabicki said her son is on seizure medication and had not suffered an episode for four or five years.

“(Doctors) think it was because his meds need to be adjusted,” she said of the seizure.

She said when a customer called China Palace to report they had not received their food, Davidson’s employers became so concerned about their dependable employee that they went to the Butler Police station and filed a missing person’s report.

“They care about him that much,” Zabicki said. “He had been working there for something like eight years.”

A GoFundMe account called “Fund for Ryan Davidson” was set up after the accident to help with Davidson’s medical expenses and to pay his monthly mortgage, as he will be recovering for several months.

“I set the goal at $10,000 but hope to at least make it to at least $3,000 so he can make it at least six months without being evicted. He also has a son who he helps take care of,” said Dann Cunningham, who identifies himself as Davidson’s brother-in-law, on the GoFundMe account. “Please, please donate if you can even if it's a dollar.”

In less than 24 hours after the account was created, it had nearly hit the larger target. Before presstime, the account had raised $9,732.

Zabicki said her son has health insurance, but its limits had been exceeded by Friday morning.

Zabicki is overwhelmed at all the prayers and other support she has received from her faithful group of friends, family and strangers alike.

“The doctor said he will make a full recovery, but it will take time,” she said. “We continue to thank everyone for the prayers and everything they’ve done for us.”

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To donate to the fundraiser, search “Fund for Ryan Davidson” on gofundme.com.