California police officer Pedro Garcia recently rescued a man from his burning car. The incident was captured on video and shared on social media, where many praised the officer for his heroic act.
The incident occurred on September 26 on Highway 101, said the San Jose Police Department. According to KTVU, a collision caused the vehicle to catch fire.
Sergeant Christian Camarillo told Newsweek that Garcia was on his way back to his district when he saw that the vehicle was on fire.
“As he drove past it, he saw that there was a person in the car, so he immediately pulled over,” Camarillo said.
A video taken from inside the responding fire truck showed Garcia running toward the burning vehicle. He quickly assesses the scene before dragging the unconscious man out from the driver’s seat and toward the firetruck.
Eventually, a fireman was able to extinguish the flames.
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
“Without hesitation, and even with fire department personnel moments away, the officer did not hesitate to risk his life and pull the man from the burning car,” the police department tweeted. “In this job, seconds count and, combined with bravery, can save lives.”
According to NBC Bay Area, the victim was treated at the scene and taken to a nearby hospital.
“His shoes were melted to the floorboard,” Garcia told the station.
Camarillo confirmed this detail for Newsweek and added that the driver escaped the crash without any injuries.
Despite being new to the force, Garcia knew the driver needed to be saved immediately.
“What was going through my mind was just, ‘I need to get him out now. Faster the better,'” he told the station. “I think it was just in seconds the flames were getting hotter and bigger.”
In a conversation with Fox-affiliate station KTVU, he said: “In this situation, I feel like seconds matter, so I didn’t want to spend any more time. I believe I was at the right place at the right time. And it was just instinct. I had to do it.”
“This is the type of stuff police officers do every day—they’re just not often captured like this one was,” Camarillo told Newsweek. “Anyone who signs up to do this job knows what our expectations are in situations like that. It’s not just fighting crime and arresting people.”
Twitter commenters were quick to praise Garcia for his service.
“Incredible courage and selflessness,” said Chris Campbell.
“That is truly amazing. No hesitation, all focus,” added Harold von Drehle.
“Thank you to the officer that risk [sic] his life to save this driver,” replied Twitter user JandJ’s nana.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released a report in March 2020 that claimed mechanical failures and/or malfunctions, as well as electrical failures and/or malfunctions, were the leading cause of vehicle fires. However, “Collisions were the leading cause of vehicle fires that resulted in death.”‘
Newsweek previously reported that Tennessee police officer David Baker also rescued an unconscious man from a burning vehicle last week.
“Officer Baker used a second fire extinguisher to hold back the flames on the driver side of the vehicle while [EMS paramedic] Remillard opened the driver’s door,” the Cookeville Police Department said in the Facebook post.
Provided/ Bodycam Footage/San Jose Police Department
