A McLean District police officer helped an intoxicated man get out of a car before it was engulfed in flames Saturday afternoon, the police department announced Thursday.
Officer Sharif Issa was on his way back to the McLean District station at about 3:30 p.m. when he was called to a car fire in the parking lot of the American Legion.
The 38-year-old driver was still inside the burning car when the officer arrived, and the flames were spreading quickly.
Officer Issa told the man to get out of the car, but the man seemed confused. Issa grabbed the man's hand and helped him escape the vehicle.
The officer later determined that the driver was intoxicated. The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated and taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
