A New Jersey police officer is being hailed as a hero after he risked his life by pulling an unconscious driver from a fiery wreck on Wednesday.
Dramatic bodycam footage shows New Jersey police officer Noah Allat reaching into the driver’s seat of a sedan and plucking its driver to safety after the vehicle smashed into a tanker truck and burst into flames.
Seconds earlier, Allat arrives on the scene and finds a man injured on the road, dazed and holding his knee. There, the injured person tells Allat that there was someone else in the Hyundai Elantra at the time of the accident.
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As Allat races toward the wreckage, he comes across the truck driver, who tells him the tanker is empty but that there was a diesel kerosene mix in it the night before.
“Can I go up to it?” Allat asks, before running toward the burning car.
He runs up to the passenger side door, which is open, only to find the driver on the other side passed out. Allat then runs to the driver’s side as the flames rage, opens the door and pulls the man out as he drags him to safety.
The gripping rescue took place on westbound Route 22 in Bridgewater at around 2 a.m.
The Bridgewater Police Department commended Allat for his “incredible actions” on Facebook.
“Officer Noah Allat … demonstrated the epitome of strength, resolve, and courage when he rescued an unconscious driver from his burning vehicle,” the police force wrote on Facebook. “Officer Allatt showed bravery, strength and composure throughout the duration of the call. Officer Allatt’s swift actions saved the life of the driver. A job well done!”
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Facebook commenters were quick to chime in and heap praise on the police officer’s heroism.
“Amazing footage! That officer is a hero!” wrote one commenter to the post. “Hero for sure,” wrote another.
The collision occurred after Zachary J. Roslin, 33, who was driving a 2007 Freightliner towing a tanker trailer, left a gas station and merged onto the highway, Patch reported, citing a preliminary police report.
Peter J. Della-Ventura, 44, who was driving the Hyundai, was in the right lane when he collided with the truck.
Once the vehicles came together, they fused, became engulfed in flames and continued to travel forward for nearly 700 feet while stuck together and on fire, according to the police report.
Della-Ventura and his passenger were taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the outlet reported.
Fire units arrived on the scene and took around 45 minutes to extinguish the flames with water supply being a concern, Path reported.
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