2 New Jersey State Troopers Speak After Rescuing Man From Tractor-Trailer Moments Before It Exploded
SOMERSET COUNTY, N.J. (CBS) -- Two New Jersey state troopers are earning praise for their heroic efforts after pulling a man out of a burning tractor-trailer moments before it exploded. New Jersey State Police Lt. Edward Ryer and Trooper Robert Tarleton worked quickly to free the driver from the cab of the tractor-trailer, shortly after the truck crashed into a guardrail and burst into flames on Interstate 287 in Bridgewater Township.
"I didn't see him at first because there was smoke in the cab and I was calling out to make sure that he was in there. The heat was pretty intense on our face," Ryer said.
Ryer and Tarleton are reliving the brazen rescue, describing the harrowing moments that played out on that interstate.
Tarleton was just a couple hundred yards away on a traffic stop when he jumped into action, running toward the danger.
"I was on a motor vehicle stop on the outer roadway and the crash occurred on the inner roadway," he said. "I heard first as I was conversing with the driver I was on the stop with, I heard the truck hit the guardrail and at that point, I looked up and I saw the truck crash."
Just in the nick of time before a succession of explosions, the troopers were able to pull the man across three lanes of traffic to safety.
"I'm really glad that I was in the right place at the right time at that point in time," Tarleton said. "Hopefully that made a difference."
"I thank God for putting me there to help out and for giving me the strength to do so," Ryer said.
The incredible rescue video has gone viral and the accolades are flowing in for the state police officers, but in their minds, it was just another day on the job.
"Although an abnormal circumstance, it's our job," Tarleton said.
The driver was treated and released from the hospital.
Both Ryer and Tarleton say they haven't spoken with the driver since the rescue.
They're still not sure if he had a medical emergency or what led to the crash, but they're happy they got him out of harm's way.