A police officer in San Jose, California, pulled an unconscious driver from a burning vehicle Sunday on U.S. Highway 101, according to NBC Bay Area.
Bravery under fire
Yesterday, rookie officer Pedro Garcia came upon a collision on Hwy 101 with one vehicle engulfed in flames and the driver still inside. pic.twitter.com/1cyc8AMkQp
— San Jose Police Dept (@SanJosePD) September 27, 2021
The act was filmed from inside a fire engine that was also called to the scene, NBC Bay Area reported. (RELATED: Police Release Intense Body Cam Footage Of San Jose Shooting)
SJPD Chief Anthony Mata told ABC that Garcia’s “training kicked in,” and that the footage showed that he “went above and beyond”.
“He’s from San Jose, born and raised here. He is the ultimate of what we expect of our officers to give back to our community and that’s what he did,” Mata said.
The fire occurred after a collision between the driver of the 1997 Toyota Avalon seen in the video and a large Dodge Ram pickup. According to CBS Bay Area, the driver of the Dodge unsuccessfully attempted to remove the man from the burning vehicle before Garcia was able to do so.
The driver was treated on the scene and transported to a nearby hospital. His injuries are currently undisclosed.