AUBURN HILLS (WXYZ) — Dash camera video shows a fiery rescue unfolding along I-75 in Auburn Hills. Video shows police risking their lives to pull a man from a burning SUV.
"Is he conscious," one person on the scene is heard saying.
It's 3 a.m. Saturday morning as bystanders call to report an SUV on fire on northbound I-75, just south of Baldwin Road.
Inside the vehicle, a man is still breathing but is unconscious and in desperate need of rescue.
“He could see there were flames, so he turned back around and got his fire extinguisher,” said Scott McGraw with the Auburn Hills Police Department.
Officer Ben Duggar knew exactly what to do, with no time to spare. With help from a good Samaritan, the officer goes around from the passenger side to the driver's side of the vehicle as cars pass by at highway speeds.
Handing his fire extinguisher over, he then begins pulling out the victim who'd crashed onto the guard rail.
Lt. McGraw says the adrenaline was flowing in a situation that left no room for mistakes.
Soon after EMS and firefighters arrived to give life saving aid, and rush the man in his 40s to a nearby hospital, he remains there listed in critical condition.
Police say alcohol is suspected to have played a role in the single-vehicle crash, which is still under investigation.
They're also acknowledging the exceptional work of one of their own.
“Officer Duggar did a great job with his quick action and being right near the scene," Lt. McGraw said. "He got there quick and didn’t hesitate to save this man’s life.”
Auburn Hills police say they continue to train for these situations so they can be ready to jump into action and save a life at a moment's notice.
