Josh Inman, 18, and Nick Russell, 19, both graduates of Los Gatos High School, were driving to Colorado the morning of Jan. 9 when the car in front of them ran off Highway 108, rolled down a hillside and landed sideways against a tree. The accident took place near the west entrance to Twain Harte.

"She just flew off the cliff," Russell said by phone.

"You don't really think about it; you just act. Instead of second-guessing, I just went with my instincts," Inman said of his initial reaction to seeing the car steer off course.

The victim, 19-year-old Emily Werrett, landed outside her car. After being admitted to UC-Davis Medical Center, she was discharged Jan. 12, according to a spokeswoman for the medical center. Due to its patient confidentiality policy, the hospital could not release further details about Werrett's condition.

Inman, who attends college in San Luis Obispo, was still on vacation last week, which is why he decided to accompany his friend to Colorado. Russell was returning from break to begin classes at the University of Colorado, where he is a freshman in the school of business.

When Inman and Russell first got out of their car to check on the driver, they heard someone screaming about her legs.

"At first we didn't know where the screams were coming from," said Russell, adding that the men weren't sure whether another person was still trapped inside the car.

By the time they reached Werrett, she was unconscious, Russell said. He and Inman noticed the precarious position of the car and pulled Werrett further away from the automobile. The car, turned onto its side, was kept from tipping over completely by a tree that the car was leaning against.

"If the tree hadn't been there, she certainly would've died," Russell said.

After moving Werrett downhill, the two men were returning to the car to see if anyone else was still inside when the automobile exploded.

The men later learned from a police officer that no one else was in the car and that Werrett would live.