A man who was trapped inside a burning vehicle is alive thanks to the heroic actions of five local police officers.
It happened Friday shortly after 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Yeadon, according to the Delaware County Daily Times.
Investigators say a 56-year-old man was driving a van when he somehow lost control of his vehicle, crashed into a traffic pole and flipped over. The Delco Times reports gasoline spilled onto the engine of the van, causing the vehicle to catch fire.
Detective Sergeant David Spain, Detective Joseph Houghton and Sergeant Thomas Reynolds of the Yeadon Police Department as well as Officers Matt Barr and Joseph Narcicni of the Darby Borough Police Department all arrived at the scene.
Police say the officers used large rocks and night sticks to crash through the van’s windshield as the man remained trapped inside, according to the Delco Times. After about a minute, the officers managed to pull the man out.
The driver of the van suffered burns on 20% of his body. He was taken to the burn unit at Crozer-Chester Medical Center where he remains in stable condition. The Delco Times also reports three of the police officers who rescued the man were treated for minor cuts and burns.
Police continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
