Photo: wsbtv.com
A couple of officers from Henry County, Georgia, are being hailed heroes after footage of their dramatic rescue of a drunk driver was released to the public. They were able to pull him out of a burning car only moments before it exploded.
The incident actually occurred on December 3, 2018, but it was the other day that officers Kelly Horne and William Palmer were presented with the Lifesaving Medal Award, WSBTV 2 Atlanta reports. They also spoke to the media about it, saying they didn’t even stop to think about personal safety when they rushed to help the unresponsive driver.
The officers noticed the car had pulled over, with smoke coming out from one of the tires and flames visible from the undercarriage. By the time they got out and rushed to the vehicle, it was engulfed in flames, but the driver wasn’t responding to their calls. They used a fire extinguisher to clear a path to the door and were eventually able to drag him out to safety. In less than a minute, the car exploded, but they had managed to put some distance between it and themselves.
“It's a pretty intense moment,” Horne told the media at the event. “I was afraid that it's going to blow up as it's going down the road and someone else is going to get injured.”
After they got the driver out of the car, the officers noticed that he was slurring his words and had trouble walking. The man admitted to having had a “couple” of drinks, but the failed sobriety test showed how grossly he had miscounted. The cops arrested him.
Still, he tells the same media outlet, he feels nothing but gratitude towards the 2 officers, because he owes them his life. On their part, they see their heroic gesture as part of their responsabilities.
“We're here to help. We're here to save lives and do our job,” Horne said. “Getting him out of that vehicle, and him breathing, and him able to live another day is more of a reward than I could ever ask for,” added Palmer.
The officers noticed the car had pulled over, with smoke coming out from one of the tires and flames visible from the undercarriage. By the time they got out and rushed to the vehicle, it was engulfed in flames, but the driver wasn’t responding to their calls. They used a fire extinguisher to clear a path to the door and were eventually able to drag him out to safety. In less than a minute, the car exploded, but they had managed to put some distance between it and themselves.
“It's a pretty intense moment,” Horne told the media at the event. “I was afraid that it's going to blow up as it's going down the road and someone else is going to get injured.”
After they got the driver out of the car, the officers noticed that he was slurring his words and had trouble walking. The man admitted to having had a “couple” of drinks, but the failed sobriety test showed how grossly he had miscounted. The cops arrested him.
Still, he tells the same media outlet, he feels nothing but gratitude towards the 2 officers, because he owes them his life. On their part, they see their heroic gesture as part of their responsabilities.
“We're here to help. We're here to save lives and do our job,” Horne said. “Getting him out of that vehicle, and him breathing, and him able to live another day is more of a reward than I could ever ask for,” added Palmer.
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