MTV Reality Star Chris Tolleson -- Rescued Car Crash Victim ... Right Before the Car Exploded

"Are You the One?" star Chris Tolleson was the one ... who along with a few friends, rescued a guy from a burning car just minutes before it burst into flames.

Tolleson tells TMZ he was in a car with a group of friends in Virginia Beach a few weeks back when they drove up to an accident scene and discovered a car that had just crashed into a tree ... and was ON FIRE.

Tolleson says he and his friends ran out of their car and found a guy unconscious in the passenger seat (there was no driver to be found) but the door was blocked by a tree. He says he and his friends pulled the tree back enough so they could open the door and dragged the guy out of the car.

After Tolleson says they dragged him 50 feet or so, he says they could hear the car starting to crackle, so they dragged him another 50 feet. Tolleson says the car blew up just a few minutes later.

Tolleson says his other two friends suffered first degree burns from the fire, while he got cut up from helping to remove the tree.

The victim suffered serious injuries. No word on his progress.