The Richardson, TX police department recently released body camera footage of a group of heroes who risked their lives to save a driver from a burning vehicle. On May 28, police officer Christopher Cruz arrived at the scene of a burning Nissan Altima to find the driver unconscious and trapped behind the wheel.
However, after breaking the window and attempting to free the driver, Cruz realized he wouldn’t be able to do it alone. The man’s leg was pinned in the wreckage, and fire threatened to envelop the vehicle.
Fortunately, help arrived when off-duty Richardson Detective Hein saw the crash and stopped. With Hein and several bystanders rushing in, Officer Cruz freed the driver and pulled him clear just before the fire spread through the car. The department released body camera video of the rescue this week.
The wreck happened around 9:17 p.m. at Campbell Road and the east frontage road of North Central Expressway, according to the Richardson Police Department. Three vehicles collided, and the fire broke out almost immediately. Dispatchers had warned the responding officers that a car was burning with someone possibly trapped inside.
Paramedics from the Richardson Fire Department took the driver to a hospital, where he was treated and released, the department said. The two other drivers in the incident were also injured, though none of the injuries proved serious.
What Caused the Crash
The fire started with a chain-reaction collision. Richardson police say a Subaru Outback was heading north on the frontage road when it rear-ended a Chevrolet pickup and the Nissan Altima, both of which were stopped at the red light at Campbell Road. The impact set the Subaru and the Nissan on fire.
The Subaru driver was hospitalized and later released, and the pickup driver was treated at the scene. Richardson police say the crash is still under investigation. There’s no additional information on the driver at this time, as the police haven’t given out supplemental details just yet.
An Off-Duty Detective Made the Difference
The rescue might not have succeeded without Detective Hein, who wasn’t even on duty when it happened. He was driving through the area and didn’t hesitate to stop and put himself in danger to save a life. His help from the passenger side gave the other rescuers the angle they needed to finally free the driver’s pinned leg.
Richardson police later commended Cruz, Hein, and the citizens who jumped in, noting the risks they took to save a stranger. The footage the department released shows just how little time they had to make a decision. Fortunately, their lack of hesitation made all the difference in this crash’s outcome.