Two people were hurt Monday when their car crashed into a utility pole in Reading, an incident that a neighbor said could have been more serious if not for a bystander who used a baseball bat to help free one of the victims from the burning vehicle.

The crash on Salem Street brought down telephone wires around 2 p.m. and left the busy road, which is also Route 129, closed into the night, according to Reading Police Sergeant Pat Silva.

Samantha Fuschetti said her family was having a Memorial Day barbecue on nearby Spring Street when they heard the crash. By the time she looked outside, the car was on fire, Fuschetti said.

“When we heard it, it was just an initial reaction, and we could see the flames from our yard, and we just ran,’’ she said.

Fuschetti said one of her friends tried to punch through a window to help a woman out of the car. He then grabbed a baseball bat and broke through, she said.

Silva said police arrived after the victims were out of the car, and he did not have any information about how they got out. Police have not released the names of the victims.

Fuschetti identified the person who helped the woman as Brandon Finnen. He could not be reached for comment Monday, but he spoke to television crews at the scene.

He told WFXT (Channel 25) that the driver of the car appeared unconscious when he freed her.

“It was definitely scary. My adrenaline was definitely pumping,’’ Finnen said, according to the report. “I think everyone thinks I’m a hero, but I don’t really think I am.’’

Andy Rosen can be reached at andrew.rosen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @andyrosen.