Halton’s police chief is crediting the “quick actions” of a group of officers who pulled a man from a burning vehicle in Milton on Friday morning, likely saving his life.
Police say that a blue Nissan Versa was travelling westbound on Clark Boulevard at Philbrook Drive at approximately 2:15 a.m. when it left the roadway, slammed into a tree and burst into flames.
Police say that when officers arrived on scene they found the driver unconscious inside the vehicle.
The officers then immediately cut the man from his seatbelt and dragged him from the vehicle, police say.
While the rescued unfolded some other officers also used fire extinguishers from their cruisers to keep the fire from spreading to the vehicle’s gas tank.
"I could not be more proud of our officers in this instance, as I am day in and day out, while they go about protecting all whom we serve and protect. But in this instance in particular they put their own safety and lives at risk to save a person who had crashed and was trapped inside a burning vehicle,” Halton Regional Police Service Chief Stephen Tanner said in a statement on Friday morning. “Their quick actions to fight the fire while at the same time cutting the person free and extricating him from the vehicle undoubtedly saved his life. We all wish the individual all the best as his recovery continues.”
The circumstances surrounding the collision remain unclear, however video footage from the scene showed the vehicle up against a tree in a grassy area near a park.
The driver’s side compartment appears somewhat unscathed but there is extensive fire damage to the rear of the vehicle, including its back seat.
Police say that the driver was rushed to hospital after the collision, where he remains in intensive care in stable condition.
