Officer speaks out after rescuing driver trapped in burning car
A Texas police officer is speaking out after rescuing a driver from a burning car last month.
Southlake Police Department Cpl. Joshua Swisher said he was responding to a traffic stop on June 7, along State Highway 114, when he received a call about a vehicle with heavy smoke pouring from it.
"I had a vehicle pulled over on the shoulder, and almost simultaneously, dispatch alerted me to a smoke investigation, possible vehicle fire," Swisher told ABC News. "I was just thinking, 'I gotta get to that vehicle, get it stopped and pulled over, and see if I can't get that driver out of the vehicle before it goes up in flames.'"
The smoking vehicle had passed by Swisher on the highway, according to dashcam footage shared by the Southlake Police Department in a Facebook post. Swisher began following the vehicle in his car and had just directed it to the shoulder when it suddenly burst into flames.
The dashcam and Swisher's body camera both captured the moment the burning car door handle broke off when he tried to open it.
"Now, I'm thinking, 'How am I gonna get him out of this car?' And from there, I just put my gloves on," Swisher said.
The camera footage shows thick, black smoke billowing from the car's windows with the driver still trapped inside.
"I couldn't see inside the vehicle because of the amount of smoke that was pouring out," Swisher recalled.
Because he couldn't open the car door, Swisher said he decided to break the car window with his fist in order to pull the driver out to safety.
"When the window shattered, that was a little bit of relief for me. 'Cause I knew I had an exit point at that time," he said.
Camera footage shows Swisher dragging the driver from the car as it becomes engulfed in flames, pulling him to safety.
According to Swisher, the driver, who was the only person in the car, was shaken, but able to walk away without serious injuries.
"It's not every day that something like this happens but I was just glad to be in the right place in the right time," Swisher said.
The Southlake Police Department honored Swisher with its second-highest honor, the Meritorious Conduct Award, for his quick-thinking and lifesaving actions that day. The award recognizes police employees who demonstrate exceptional courage, professionalism and performance while facing significant danger, according to the department.
