Body Cam Video Shows Officers Rescue Driver From Burning Car

Their day should have been ending, but when five D.C. police officers decided to take one more call, they saved a man's life. 

Officer Steven Hines was driving along Bladensburg Road NE Sunday night when he came across a burning car just before 10:30 p.m. The driver, dazed from crashing into a utility pole, couldn't free himself.

Hines activated his body camera and ran toward the burning car.

"I tried to look in it, but there was too much smoke. I couldn't really see inside the vehicle," Hines said. 

"I'm going to break the window right now," Hines can be heard saying in the video. 

Back at the station, several officers heard the call and went to help.

"Our minds were pretty much on going home. Another couple of minutes, if we hadn't been there, if Hines hadn't stumbled across it, it'd be a completely different story," Officer John Hayes said. 

Local

Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information

Teen found in metro vent was shot to death, police say

DC prepares for another Trump administration

Officers Jacoby Taylor and Roberto Adams quickly pulled the semi-conscious man to safety.

"Adams quickly jumped in and was able to pull the seat belt off the driver. At that point, we quickly pulled him out of the car and got him away from the flames," Taylor said. 

Even after the man had been pulled to safety, the officers refused to leave that car until they knew no one else was inside. But, no one else was inside the car. 

Police said the driver was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

Contact Us