FUNSTON, Ga. — Funston residents dragged out water hoses and carried buckets of water to help save a man trapped in a burning SUV following a Friday afternoon collision with a semi truck.

Their effort paid off as the driver was said to be conscious before he was loaded onto a helicopter for a flight to a Tallahassee hospital.

Frizzell Byrd, 37, of Camilla was in fair condition on Monday afternoon at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman there said.

Byrd’s Ford Expedition collided with an empty log truck heading east about one-quarter mile west of Funston-Sale City Road in Funston. The collision occurred at about 5:18 p.m., according to the Georgia State Patrol.

As deputies arrived at the scene, Byrd was trapped in the SUV, which came to rest in the middle of the road. Things got worse as flames broke out in the badly damaged front end.

Sheriff’s Deputy Hiram Cardona tried to keep Byrd calm after realizing he could not be removed from the Expedition until extrication equipment arrived. Then the smoke became flames.

“I just did not want him to burn up, and I told him I would stay with him,” Cardona said.

Cardona and sheriff’s Sgt. Katrina Johnson initially used fire extinguishers. Both were on Highway 37 coming from opposite directions trying to intercept the reported reckless driver, but they did not catch up before the collision.

However, they were among the first on the scene.

“We went through every fire extinguisher,” said Johnson, whose shoes were partially melted. “The people across the street were bringing buckets of water. We owe a lot of credit to them. These people were coming out of their houses with trash cans full of water.”

Other neighbors in the area also came to the man’s assistance, said Elio Soria, a Funston resident who was driving east on the same highway and was close enough to hear the loud collision but did not see it. Soria said he heard popping sounds before the flames broke out.

“Flames were all under him,” Soria said. “I went to Miss Lois’ house. We started getting water hoses.”

Soria said he also passed buckets filled with water to the police officers until firefighters arrived and he got out of the way of the professionals.

In the Explorer, the worst of the fire damage seemed to be in the engine compartment and dash.

A GSP trooper at the scene said that Byrd may have been having a diabetic episode at the time of the accident.

Police said that he was the driver who forced about eight other drivers off the roadway as he was weaving between lanes.