A Nassau County teenager is being hailed a hero after saving his friend from drowning right after a car accident.

Dylan Villari, of Massapequa, says his friend was driving and lost control on a sharp curve of the Belt Parkway after missing the Francis Lewis Boulevard exit. The car crashed through a fence on the bridge, flipped and landed upside down in the water.

Leandra Perelli, 16, of Hicksville, was trapped in the front passenger seat. Villari says his instincts kicked in when he saw that Perelli was stuck in the car, which was quickly filling up with water.

"I don't know how I got out of the car, but I opened my door upside down," Villari said. "My friend was in front of me and I got her car door open a little bit. I dragged her and helped her out."

Perelli says she is grateful that Villari was there to save her life.

The driver of the car, 17-year-old Alyssa Hagstrom, of Hicksville, managed to get out on her own.

All three teens emerged from the crash with only minor cuts.