Officer recounts dramatic rescue of woman from fiery U.S. 60 crash
The Brief
Officer Brian Larison helped rescue a woman from a burning car after it was involved in a crash with a cement truck on U.S. 60.
Larison broke the car window with his baton to create and exit for the trapped driver before flames could engulf the vehicle.
The woman was transported to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
MESA, Ariz. - A Chandler Police officer and off-duty firefighter helped save a woman's life after she was hit by a cement truck, causing her car to overturn and burst into flames.
It happened on U.S. 60 during morning rush hour traffic.
The officer and former Marine is calling it a miracle, saying he was in the right place at the right time.
What they're saying
"The thought of human life perishing by flames. I just, you know, I was like, 'I cannot let this happen,'" said Officer Brian Larison.
The U.S. 60 westbound isn't officer Brian Larison's typical commute with Chandler PD, but Tuesday morning it was a life-saving decision.
"The rear lights of the truck actually turned clockwise, and I was like, 'oh my gosh, this thing is rolling,'" said Larison.
In morning rush hour traffic, a cement truck crashed into the back of a Nissan pick-up, causing it to roll over.
"There was a female still trapped inside in the driver's seat and the back of the truck was just engulfed in flames," said Larison.
The former marine was the first one there.
Grabbing his baton, he did everything he could to get the driver's side window to break.
"My thought was, 'I am not going to let her burn up.' I hit it three times and it seemed like it took forever to get this window to break and my thought was, 'she is not dying,'" he said.
Larison was fighting time as the car began filling with smoke and flames.
"I knew as soon as that window broke, oxygen was going to get in there and it was just gonna engulf (the vehicle)," he said.
Dig deeper
Officer Larison wasn't alone.
"Then, I looked and it was an off-duty fireman and he's got all his fire retardant gear on. Just right place, right time," said Larison.
The two helped pull the woman out of the burning car, saving her life.
"She clung to me on the side of the road and I just held her. I just told her I had her," he said.
Their first call was to her husband. The woman was safely transported to the hospital is expected to make a full recovery.
Officer Larison returned to a normal day at work, knowing the outcome could've been a lot different.
"My contract says payable with my life, if necessary," said Larison. "Just know we're not just putting the badge on and going to work, you know? We're human beings, we have emotions and our job is every one of you to make sure you're okay."
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