Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is commending four of his officers for risking their own lives to save a driver from a burning car.
The incident happened Sunday at around 2:30 a.m. Officials say a deputy with the Orion Township substation was patrolling in the area of Baldwin and Brown Roads when he was passed by a speeding driver.
The deputy activated his lights and sirens and attempted to catch up to the speeding driver, who then crashed after making a left turn onto Maybee Road. It was at that point that the driver lost control and flipped into a wooded area. The car ended up on it's side and caught fire.
The deputy approached the burning car and pulled the driver out through the sunroof. He was soon aided by three others who responded to the scene.
“This is a reminder of the types of incidents our Deputies can encounter each and every day,” said Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard in a news release. “While our Deputy had been in pursuit of this speeding suspect, it was their first instinct to risk their own lives to save this individual from a burning vehicle. If not for the quick action of our Deputies, this individual may have not survived this incident.”
The driver, an 18-year-old from Orion Township, was taken to McLaren Hospital - Oakland with a broken leg and lacerations. He was taken into custody for a blood test after officers reported smelling marijuana and alcohol on his at the time of the incident.
He has been released pending further investigation.
