3 days ago
New York police officer and Good Samaritans save 68-year-old woman from vehicle engulfed in flames
Two "passing motorists" helped a police officer save an elderly woman trapped in a burning vehicle following a crash in Chester, New York, about an hour outside New York City.
Chester police were dispatched to the scene of a rollover crash on Kings Highway around 4 a.m. Sunday.
"While they were responding, updates were given that the operator was trapped in the vehicle and the vehicle was on fire," police wrote in a Monday Facebook post. "Officer Nicholas Contino was the first police officer to arrive on scene. He gave his fire extinguisher to a passing motorist and worked to locate the operator in the vehicle."
In video footage of the police response posted to Facebook, one of the Good Samaritan motorists can be seen quickly putting out flames with the fire extinguisher.
Contino broke through the glass sunroof to pull the driver out of the engulfed vehicle. The Good Samaritans can be seen helping the officer get the woman to safety once she is out of the blazing vehicle.
"With the assistance of two passing motorists and a paramedic from Empress EMS, she was removed from the vehicle and away from the fire," Chester PD said. "The operator of the vehicle was identified as a 68-year-old female resident of Warwick, NY."
The victim suffered third-degree burns and was transferred to a local hospital, where she remains in stable condition.
"Officer Contino's effort greatly increased the motorist's chances for survival, and he is commended for a job well done!" police wrote.
