SAVANNAH – Seven Savannah Police officers are being heralded as heroes today after their efforts overnight to pull an unconscious 18-year-old female from a burning vehicle following a single vehicle crash on Henry Street.
Officers were called to the crash at Henry Street near Dieter Street at about 11:45 p.m. Monday night. When officers arrived, fire was coming from the hood of the 1998 Lincoln Towncar. The driver had gotten out of the vehicle but a woman in the front seat was still in the car and was unresponsive. Officers discovered the front door was either locked or jammed as a result of the crash.
Working together, they were able to pull the woman over the front passenger seat and out of the back door. They hurriedly carried her away from the still burning vehicle. Savannah Fire firefighters arrived soon after and extinguished the fully engulfed vehicle.
“I am so proud of these officers for their actions when responding to the scene last night,” Chief Roy Minter said. “They literally ran toward the flames and worked quickly as a team to not only remove the passenger from the car but get her to a safe location. Had they not acted as they did, the passenger in the car could have suffered more serious injuries or even lost her life.”
Below is footage of the rescue.
Both the driver and passenger were transported to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
According to the Savannah Police Department, the initial investigation revealed the driver struck a light pole and tree before striking another tree head on. The impact resulted in the vehicle spinning and coming to a rest in the middle of the roadway, where it caught fire.
The seven officers involved in the rescue were Cpl. Jacob Davey, Officer Timothy Valmont, Officer Janson Neff, Officer Molly Moran, Officer Sydney Delince, Officer Jason Zimmerman and Officer Anthony Traniello.
The crash remains under investigation.
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