MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Montgomery County officers worked quickly to rescue a man trapped in a burning car following a crash.
The crash happened just after 1 a.m. on Saturday, March 12.
New bodycam video released by Montgomery County Police shows the moments after the crash. Flames had engulfed the car
When Officer Nathan Rodgers arrived, he saw the car off the road with smoke surrounding it and fire coming from the engine. The driver was trapped inside, unconscious.
Sergeant William Drew arrived on scene within seconds. He was off duty and heading home after his evening shift just ended. Sergeant Drew was able to smash the window to get the driver out. Both officers pulled the driver to safety.
Officer Rodgers said he’s thankful he was in the right place at the right time.
"The vehicle was completely engulfed not more than a minute after we had gotten him out of the vehicle," Rodgers said. "It was just overall great timing and good work, especially by Sergeant Drew, who was able to break the glass and open the door enough to get him out of the car."
Rodgers said as police they often see disabled vehicles, or people pulled off the road, and he has a habit of pulling up to check on them to see if it's something minor like a flat tire or someone who needs directions. In this case it was more serious.
He explained that what went through his mind when he first saw the car in flames.
"Huge adrenaline dump right after that, for sure," he said.
Rodgers said he used a fire extinguisher to get the man to safety.
"When I ran up with the extinguisher it just bought us that extra 30 seconds to a minute to where we were able to get him far enough away from the vehicle."
Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the flames. The driver was transported to an area hospital for treatment. He's expected to be OK.
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