SAVANNAH, Ga. – Seven police officers in Georgia acted quickly to save a woman who was unconscious in a burning vehicle Monday night, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Savannah Police Department, officers were called to a crash at about 11:45 p.m. Fire was coming from the hood of a 1998 Lincoln Towncar, the release said.
Body camera video footage shows the officers shattering the windows of the car because the door was jammed and the 18-year-old woman inside the vehicle was unresponsive, WJCL reported. They were able to pull the woman over the front passenger seat and out the back door of the vehicle.
“You can’t think about yourself in that scenario,” Officer Janson Neff told WJCL. “That’s why we put the badge on our chest. We look for any situation to save another person.”
Officer Molly Moran said bystanders at the scene played a valuable role during the rescue.
“They were able to keep the driver back and keep him calm. He was injured as well,” Moran told WJCL. “They were extremely helpful to us, and we’re very grateful to those bystanders who helped us.
“I think we were very grateful that everyone was OK,” Moran told the television station. “People were injured, but at the same time, nobody lost their life. Officers were OK as well.”
Savannah Fire firefighters arrived soon after the woman was pulled out of the car and extinguished the blaze, according to the police department’s news release.
According to the news release, the driver of the vehicle, Jaydon Brown, 18, failed to maintain his lane and struck a light pole and tree before striking another tree. The impact resulted in the vehicle spinning and stopping in the middle of the road, where it caught fire.
The officers involved in the rescue were Neff, Moran, Cpl. Jacob Davey, Officer Timothy Valmont, Officer Sidney Delince, Officer Jason Zimmerman and Officer Anthony Traniello
“I am so proud of these officers for their actions when responding to the scene last night,” Chief Roy Minter said in a statement. “They literally ran toward the flames and worked quickly as a team to not only remove the passenger from the car but get her to a safe location. Had they not acted as they did, the passenger in the car could have suffered more serious injuries or even lost her life.”
“Police officers have a different type of calling,” Davey told WJCL. “We’re out there to help people. It’s not about money, fame or anything like that. We genuinely care about the citizens we serve. We want to make a difference and help civilians”.
The crash remains under investigation, police said.
