Hero Cops and Teen Save Men from Burning Car

Four quick-acting Chicago police officers are being hailed as heroes after they saved two men from a vehicle minutes after a fiery crash early Sunday morning.

Gresham (6th) District officers responded to a traffic crash on the 7700 block of South Loomis, after a male driver traveling at a high rate of speed struck several parked vehicles, police said.

When the officers arrived at the scene they discovered a vehicle on fire in the middle of the street. Witnesses told police that one person was able to get out of the vehicle, but that two men were still inside.

The officers broke out the door windows and were able to pull the unconscious men out of the vehicle before it became engulfed in flames. A 15-year-old resident also jumped in and helped police buy some much needed time.

“I could see the fire, the dashboard on fire, so we had to act right then and there,” Chicago Police Officer Phoebe Flores told ABC-7 News.

Flores and the other officers Eric King, Josue Pivaral and Shadi Sweiss did not have time to wait for the fire department to arrive.

After being awakened by the crash, 15-year-old John Sweet called 911 and ran to get a fire extinguisher. Sweet was able to spray some of the burning car in the critical seconds before police arrived.

The four officers are assigned to the Gresham District.