By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Body camera video captured the intense moment Chula Vista officers worked together to rescue a man from a burning vehicle.
It happened Oct. 13 on Interstate 5 in Chula Vista, 10 News reports. Multiple 911 calls reported the incident to dispatchers.
“I heard a loud bang by our house and now I see fire,” one caller said.
Police disclosed that calls related to the freeway are usually forwarded to the California Highway Patrol. However, this particular call piqued the interest of a police sergeant from Chula Vista who was tuned in. Anticipating that the CHP might not reach the victim in time, the sergeant swiftly initiated an emergency call to nearby officers.
The exact location was unclear, so a Chula Vista Police Department drone was deployed to provide responding officers with an exact location.
Once the location was determined, Chula Vista Officer Donald Truong was the first to arrive at the scene. He said he immediately used his baton to start smashing the back window to get the victim fresh air.
“I heard this guy burning. I could hear his screams … my priority was to save this man. To get him out as soon as possible,” Truong told 10 News.
Body camera video released on Dec. 20 shows multiple officers jumping in to help as they arrived at the scene. Video shows some officers using fire extinguishers as other officers worked together to pull the man to safety.
Minutes after officers rescued the man, the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames.