A Texas police officer heroically saved a man from his burning car on the freeway, just moments before it was engulfed in flames, as captured in a poignant video.
The incident occurred on June 7, when the driver’s Nissan Altima unexpectedly caught fire while on Highway 114 in Southlake, Texas.
Footage shared by authorities revealed the vehicle emitting thick smoke as it made a sudden stop on the busy roadside.
Corporal Joshua Swisher of the Southlake Police Department quickly recognized the frightening situation.
While attending to a different traffic matter, Swisher received an alert about a smoking car ahead.
Body camera footage shows him quickly parking his vehicle and sprinting down the busy highway towards the burning car.
“I couldn’t even see inside the car,” Swisher later recounted. “All I saw was a hand, and the driver was attempting to open the door from within.”
The smoke filled the car so much that visibility was significantly reduced.
Swisher first tried to open the driver’s door; however, it flew off, leaving the driver trapped. In an act of desperation, he urged the man to “come out the window” and used a window breaker to shatter it.
Video evidence captured him pulling the man to safety just as flames erupted from the vehicle.
Officials reported that the driver escaped without injury, though Swisher suffered some burns on his arm.
In recognition of his swift actions, Swisher was awarded the Distinguished Service Award, the second-highest honor within the Southlake Police Department.
He humbly mentioned that he was merely fulfilling his duty, stating, “I think I speak for all of the police officers in Southlake when I say that if someone had been in the same situation, any other officer would have done the same.”
