Heart-pounding bodycam footage shows California cop rescue driver from fireball wreck

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Dramatic bodycam footage captured the moment a heroic cop in Northern California rushed to rescue a driver from a car engulfed in flames following a crash.

During the early hours of Nov. 1, Davis Police Corporal Pheng Ly responded to a crash on the eastbound side of Highway 80, just east of Richards Boulevard, the police department said.

Ly arrived to find flames leaping from the engine as he raced over to check on the driver.

“Acting quickly, Corporal Ly ran toward the burning car and began breaking out the driver’s side window while trying to communicate with the driver who was still inside,” the police said.

In the clip, the officer can be heard telling the driver to get out of the car before busting through the window as the flames grow.

The officer is finally able to get inside the vehicle and unbuckle the unresponsive driver.

“Corporal Ly was able to wake the driver and pull him from the car and away from the flames,” the department said.

The department said the crash was investigated by the California Highway Patrol.

After the driver was treated for his injuries, he was arrested for suspicion of DUI, according to the police.

Ly spoke later about the rescue and being the first to arrive on the scene.

“I could see smoke, and I could see lights,” he told the Davis Enterprise, recalling hearing another driver nearby yelling, “He’s still in there!”

“Time kind of froze for a split second. But I’ve got to perform, and I can’t fail,” the officer added.

It wasn’t the first time Ly pulled a person from a burning vehicle.

Back in October 2020, he responded to a crash on I-80, where he found a female driver trapped in the backseat of a car on fire, the Davis Enterprise reported. He was able to pull her to safety through a window.

“The Davis Police Department would like to commend Corporal Ly for his quick and decisive efforts that may have ended up saving this driver’s life,” the department said of the officer’s latest rescue.

“This event marks the second time Corporal Ly has pulled someone from a burning vehicle, and we would like to showcase this example by sharing this clip of his body-worn camera footage.  Thank you, Corporal Ly!”

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