AMES, Iowa -- Callers to 911 reported a car on fire in a mall parking lot, but no one knew that the driver was still strapped inside.
Lt. Jeff Brinkley was the first to arrive and the video from inside his patrol car clearly shows the entire back half of the car in flames.
Brinkley jumps out of his car and runs to the front of the burning car, at this point not knowing if anyone is inside. The interior of the car windows were coated with thick black smoke.
''The thing was just full of smoke and I couldn't see in at all,'' Brinkley said.
Brinkley leaned into the intense heat and broke out the car's passenger window. Smoke poured out.
Brinkley reports back to police dispatch saying, ''not sure if there's anybody in here or not, but there might be.''
At that point, officer Clint Hertz arrived to help. He ran at full speed and opened the passenger door. Hertz can see someone is still inside the burning car.
''I guess I wasn't really thinking too much, other than just there's somebody in there we gotta get him out,'' Hertz said.
Hertz reached in and grabbed the man. He and Brinkley both grabbed an arm and pulled the unconscious man away from flames.
watch video:
http://www.kcci.com/news/15083801/detail.html
Peace
