4 hospitalized after horrific crash in Oakland Hills

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Four people are hospitalized after a horrible crash in the Oakland Hills. The impact was so violent, the engine ended up in the driver's lap.

Police say all four people who were in the car are between 18 and 22 years old. Police say they now think the car was speeding. They say rescuing the victims was very intense and complicated.

It took firefighters nearly two hours to pull the victims out of the crashed car. They had to use the Jaws of Life, hydraulic equipment and winch systems to get to the two people trapped inside.

"The last person to be extricated, his legs were pinned underneath the dashboard. It was the driver of the car. The car was on its side up against a tree so it was difficult to work on the vehicle," Oakland Fire Dept. Batt. Chief Nick Luby said.

The car uprooted a tree when it crashed. Crews had to move the car away from the tree to get to their patient.

One firefighter even climbed into the backseat to help with the effort. The car was flipped off its side while the firefighter was inside.

They also had to shear the roof off of the car, all while a man and woman could be heard moaning in pain inside.

Now neighbors are voicing concerns over that stretch of road.

"Heard a vehicle coming up the hill, high rate of speed, playing loud music," said security guard David Porleris. He had a bad feeling something was going to happen when he saw the car on Redwood Road just before 3:30 a.m. Friday.

He watched as the driver did a fast U-turn, then seconds later heard the crash. He was the first one on the scene and described what he saw. "Flames coming out of the engine compartment, a lot of yelling and screaming help, help, help," he said.

A total of four people were inside. The call came in at 3:25 a.m. They were all rescued by 5:15 a.m.

People who live around Redwood Road say they constantly worry about its curves and steep hills. "I am not surprised, I see a lot of fast cars come down this hill. Every time I make the turn in, I'll be extra cautious before I make the turn because I don't want the cars to hit me or my family," neighbor Benny Ng said.

Officers were so worried about the two trapped passengers that they dropped out their fatal investigative team just in case, but it looks like they're going to survive. They're listed in critical but stable condition and the other two passengers are in stable condition.