Three police officers rescued a man trapped in a burning vehicle after a crash early Sunday morning in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts.
Sgt. Martin Faherty and officers Jonathan O’Brien and Matthew Richards responded to the collision around 3:20 a.m., according to the Holbrook Police Department.
O’Brien arrived first at the scene and saw a utility pole snapped in half and flames spreading across the front of a Jeep.
Bystanders told him the driver was still inside.
The driver tried to escape the vehicle, but his right foot was pinned beneath the damaged dashboard, according to police. The driver’s foot and sneaker also caught fire.
Body camera video provided by Holbrook police shows the tense moments when O’Brien, Faherty and Richards pulled the driver to safety.
The driver was transported to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts, with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
O’Brien sustained minor burns to his fingers during the rescue.
Investigators said the Jeep left the roadway, hit a pole and a tree before crashing into a retaining wall.
The Jeep’s driver, a 37-year-old Holbrook, Massachusetts, man, will be charged with operating under the influence (second offense), negligent operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation and speeding.
“These officers did an incredible job under dangerous conditions,” Chief David Del Papa said. “The outcome would have been much different had they not arrived so quickly and acted immediately. Their quick response likely saved his life.”
Boston sister station WCVB reports that this is the second time in the past year O’Brien has rescued a driver from a burning vehicle.
