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Woman Escapes After Car Catches on Fire While on Highway

As flames spread through the undercarriage of an SUV on Interstate 4 in Orlando, a woman frantically tried to flag down the driver of the blazing vehicle.

The driver of the 2012 Kia Sorento pulled over seconds later and got out. Minutes later, the vehicle was engulfed in flames and totaled.

Meridith Olinger shot the video and saved the woman in the incident that occurred in April. She told WESH that she thought the vehicle was going to explode.

Susan King, who was driving her best friend's vehicle, said Olinger saved her life.

"I'm incredibly grateful and she was my angel that day. It was surreal," King told WESH.

Tyla Kennedy, who owned the Kia Sorento, was surprised to find out the vehicle was under a safety recall due to an engine defect.

Kennedy called Kia and said customer service told her it had no valid address to send a recall notice. When she asked for a replacement vehicle, Kia said no.

"I said, 'Hey, what would be nice is a car to replace my vehicle that burnt while my best friend was driving it and nearly killed her,'" Kennedy said. "There is no compensation until I can prove that it was the recall that blew up the engine."

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