Five people were injured, including one seriously, in a three-car crash Thursday afternoon on Highway 17 at Roebling Road.

Quick actions by good samaritans kept it from being worse, according to investigators.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., an Effingham County Sheriff’s Office deputy drove up on the crash "seconds after it occurred," said ECSO spokesman Detective David Ehsanipoor.

A sport utility vehicle was overturned and the driver was pinned underneath it. Deputies Randy Brown and Terry Gideon along with bystanders helped lift the SUV, and the driver was airlifted to Memorial Health University Medical Center with serious injuries.

"The actions of the deputies and bystanders most likely saved the victim's life," Ehsanipoor said.

The other injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, according to investigators.

Ehsanipoor said initial reports indicate the driver of an SUV was traveling south on Highway 17 and rear-ended another vehicle, forcing that vehicle into another car traveling north on 17. The crash remains under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol.