Officer recounts dramatic rescue of woman from fiery U.S. 60 crash
Heroes in action: 2 men save woman from burning car
Cameras were able to catch a police officer and off-duty firefighter who happened to be passing by as they were able to act fast to save a woman from a burning car. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach has the story.
MESA, Ariz. - A Chandler Police officer and off-duty firefighter helped save a woman's life after she was hit by a cement truck, causing her car to overturn and burst into flames.
It happened on U.S. 60 during morning rush hour traffic.
Why you should care:
The Chandler motorcycle cop and Peoria off-duty firefighter share a bond after this morning’s rescue. Both of them are Marine veterans trained for moments like this.
"The thought of human life perishing by flames. I just, you know, I was like, ‘I cannot let this happen,’" said Officer Brian Larison.
What we know:
The U.S. 60 westbound isn’t officer Brian Larison's typical morning commute with Chandler PD, but Tuesday morning it was a life-saving decision.
"The rear lights of the truck actually turned clockwise, and I was like, ‘oh my gosh, this thing is rolling,’" said Larison.
Dashcam video shows fiery U.S. 60 crash
New video shows a fiery crash that happened along the U.S. 60 freeway near Val Vista in Mesa. Authorities say a cement truck rear-ended a pickup truck, causing it to burst into flames. The pickup truck rolled over, and the driver was trapped inside. A Chandler motorcycle officer and an off-duty firefighter pulled the woman from the burning vehicle. She was hospitalized and is expected to make a full recovery.
In morning rush hour traffic, a cement truck crashed into the back of a Nissan pick-up, causing it to roll over.
"There was a female still trapped inside in the driver's seat and the back of the truck was just engulfed in flames," said Larison.
The former marine was the first one there.
Grabbing his baton, he did everything he could to get the driver's side window to break.
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Motorcycle officer, off-duty firefighter rescue driver from burning truck on U.S. 60
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"My thought was, ‘I am not going to let her burn up.’ I hit it three times and it seemed like it took forever to get this window to break and my thought was, ‘she is not dying,’" he said.
Larison was fighting time as the car began filling with smoke and flames.
"I knew as soon as that window broke, oxygen was going to get in there and it was just gonna engulf (the vehicle)," he said.
Officer's heroic efforts save woman from burning car
Helmet camera footage shows the dramatic rescue of a woman from a burning car after it was involved in a crash with a cement truck in Mesa.
Dig deeper:
Officer Larison wasn’t alone.
"Then, I looked and it was an off-duty fireman and he’s got all his fire retardant gear on. Just right place, right time," said Larison.
Peoria firefighter Asa Paguia was on his way to work a shift at the Peoria Fire Department and conveniently had his fire fighting equipment on hand.
"I just worked an overtime shift yesterday, so that's why I had my gear with me. So I thought I could make a difference, stopped, opened my trunk and put my gear on," said Paguia.
Paguia typically leaves his house earlier than he did on Tuesday morning but running behind schedule made the difference in saving someones life.
The two helped pull the woman out of the burning car, saving her life.
"She clung to me on the side of the road and I just held her. I just told her I had her," he said.
Their first call was to her husband. The woman was safely transported to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Officer Larison returned to a normal day at work, knowing the outcome could’ve been a lot different.
Both shared similar sentiments on fulfilling their duties as first responders.
"The way we operate is we risk a lot to save a lot. So I decided it was worth the risk to get that patient out of there," said Paguia.
"My contract says payable with my life, if necessary," said Larison. "Just know we’re not just putting the badge on and going to work, you know? We’re human beings, we have emotions and our job is every one of you to make sure you’re okay."