A police officer in Texas has been praised for rescuing a trapped driver from a burning car just moments before the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames.
The incident happened on June 7 along a highway in Southlake, Texas, where Police Corporal Joshua Swisher came across a Nissan Altima that had caught fire.
Body camera footage shows thick black smoke pouring from the vehicle as Swisher rushed to help after realising the driver was still trapped inside.
Swisher initially tried to open the driver’s door, but the handle broke off, preventing him from gaining access.
Unable to open the door, he used a window-breaking tool to smash the driver’s side window and instructed the man to climb out through the opening.
The officer then pulled the driver to safety just seconds before flames spread through the vehicle.
Authorities said the driver escaped without any injuries, while Swisher suffered minor burns that singed the hair on his arms.
“I could not even see inside the vehicle. The only thing I saw was the driver’s hands trying to get the door open from the inside,” Swisher told local media.
The City of Southlake Department of Public Safety praised the officer’s quick actions, saying his courage and decisive response prevented what could have been a fatal outcome.
For his actions, Swisher was later awarded the Southlake Police Department’s Meritorious Conduct Award.
Speaking after the rescue, Swisher said any officer in the department would have done the same in the situation.
