Sheriff's deputy pulls teen from burning car after crash
The 18-year-old was arrested and released after the incident.
— -- A sheriff’s deputy on patrol in Michigan is being hailed a hero after dashcam video shows him running to pull a driver from a burning vehicle.
The incident unfolded early Sunday at around 2:30 a.m. in Orion Township, Michigan. That’s when the sheriff’s deputy witnessed the driver speed past him, according to a press release from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
The deputy then raced to catch up with the speeding driver, who lost control of his vehicle on the gravel roadway, the press release states. The car flipped onto its side in a wooded area, where it burst into flames.
Video shows the deputy running up to the burning car and pulling the driver out to safety through the sunroof. An additional three deputies arrived on the scene and helped move the driver away from the car.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard commended the four officers on Monday for risking their own lives to save the driver, who was identified as an 18-year-old male resident of Orion Township.
“While our deputy had been in pursuit of this speeding suspect, it was their first instinct to risk their own lives to save this individual from a burning vehicle. If not for the quick action of our deputies, this individual may have not survived this incident,” said Bouchard.
Paramedics treated the driver for a broken leg and cuts. Deputies reported smelling marijuana and alcohol on him at the time of the accident, and a search warrant has been obtained for the driver's blood, according to the press release.
The 18-year-old was arrested and released after the incident. Charges are pending, the press release states.