Dramatic Footage Shows Moment Police Pull Man From Burning Car

A dramatic video has shown the moment Florida police officers pulled a man out of a burning car.

The bodycam footage was recorded when Gainsville Police Department (GPD) officers responded to reports of a crash on 3800 W. Newbury Road at about 11:50 p.m. on Saturday.

According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there are approximately 200,000 recorded car crashes in Florida every year. It added that more than 500 accidents happen every single day in the Sunshine State.

The clip starts with one of the officers racing towards the car with a fire extinguisher as flames can be seen coming from the front of the vehicle, which had smashed into what appears to be a bus stop shelter.

Image of officer saving man from car
A still from a video shows a police officer saving a man from a burning vehicle in Gainesville, Florida on September 24, 2022. Police handout

Another officer can be seen with his body partially inside the car before both start to pull the man out by his arms.

Both officers work to pull the victim out of the car and drag him several feet away from the burning vehicle.

The officers reassure the man as sirens can be heard down the street and the vehicle continues to burn.

In a statement, shared in the clip uploaded to YouTube on Monday, a GPD spokesperson praises the actions of the officers.

"Officer R. Angus and officer B. Mullins arrived on scene and found the driver of the vehicle was entrapped," the statement says.

"The vehicle was on fire with the driver's door unable to be opened. Officer Angus and officer Mullins pulled the driver of the vehicle out of the back door while the vehicle was on fire and dragged the driver to safety.

"It was later determined that the driver of this vehicle may have been involved in an earlier separate traffic crash.

"Thanks to the heroic and life-saving efforts by GPD officer R. Angus and officer B. Mullins the driver was transported to the hospital.

"The investigation regarding this incident is ongoing."

Newsweek has contacted Gainesville Police Department for comment.

In May, police bodycam footage caught the moment a New York officer pulled a woman from a sinking car after she crashed into a lake.

Joane M. Tanner, 61, was allegedly speeding when she careened off the road, through a fence, and into the water.

The dramatic footage of the rescue showed a trooper battering through the glass and coming to Tanner's rescue.

As the car disappeared further under the water's surface, the trooper and firefighters brought her to safety.

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Anders Anglesey is a U.S. News Reporter based in London, U.K., covering crime, politics, online extremism and trending stories. Anders ... Read more

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