Dash Cam: Deputies Pull Woman From Burning Car
***WARNING - VIDEO IN THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT***
FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - Two Indian River County Sheriff's deputies risked their lives to pull a woman out of a burning car and it was all captured on one of the officer's patrol car dash cams.
Just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, a woman in a small car got into an accident with septic tanker truck and a flatbed truck. Both the woman's car and the septic truck caught on fire.
Deputy Robert Sunkel was the first to arrive on the scene. When he learned from witnesses that a woman was trapped inside the buring car, he broke the window with his baton, opened the passenger side door and tried to pull her free.
The woman, however, was trapped in the vehicle by her seat belt, steering wheel and airbag.
(Source: Indian River Sheriff's Office)
Sunkel made several attempts to get her out, but couldn't because of the intense heat from the flames. It was then that Deputy Linda Nolan arrived and used a fire extinguisher. While the fire extinguisher made little difference, working together they were able to get her out.
"We are so proud of Deputies Sunkel and Nolan for their life saving efforts earlier this morning," said Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar. "Video of the incident shows that despite danger to themselves, they continued to work to save this woman from her burning car."
Nolan sustained burns to her hand which were treated on scene and then at Indian River Medical Center. The woman pulled from the car was airlifted to a hospital, the sheriff's office has not released her condition.
