Peabody Officer Pulled From Fiery Wreck By NH State Trooper

A New Hampshire state trooper escorting New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch and his wife through Massachusetts Sunday evening was injured after the trooper heroically rescued a trapped motorist, following a road rage incident near the junction of Interstate 495 on Interstate 93.

Trooper Scott Frye pulled the motorist, a Peabody police sergeant, from the fiery wreck, saving the man's life.

According to police, at approximately 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Frye was traveling north on I-93 in the area of Exit 44 with Gov. Lynch and First Lady Susan Lynch, in an official capacity. They witnessed a road rage incident unfold in front of them on the highway as one vehicle veered off the road, struck a guardrail and rolled up an embankment before bursting into flames.

The driver was injured and trapped inside the vehicle until Frye crawled through the windshield and pulled him free.

"Trooper Frye demonstrated tremendous courage and bravery, putting himself in danger so that he could rescue the driver from that burning vehicle. I commend Scott for his heroic, life-saving actions," said Governor Lynch in a statement Monday. "And I also want to thank Manchester Firefighter Keith Knight for his bravery and assistance at the scene."

"I was only doing what any other trooper or public safety official would do in that circumstance. I am just glad that everyone is okay," Frye said in the statement.

The Andover state police barracks said Monday the vehicle that crashed was a 2003 Dodge Durango sport utility vehicle operated by Steven R. Marques, 61, of Methuen. State police issued a warning to Marques for a marked lanes violation and said more charges may be forthcoming.

News reports Monday said Peabody police confirmed that Marques is a sergeant in the department.

Preliminary investigation by troopers indicates that a bout of road rage involving the Durango and a red Ford pickup truck may have preceded the accident.

State police said it appeared the Durango tried to pass to the left of a BMW traveling in the center lane, but clipped the BMW and lost control. At that point, the SUV left the roadway, struck and went over the guardrail, struck a sign, rolled up an embankment into the wood line and caught fire.

The red pickup truck did not stop, according to police.

Frye, Governor Lynch and the First Lady stopped to assist at the accident scene. As the governor called 911, Frye grabbed a fire extinguisher from the trunk of the cruiser and attempted to aid the victims.

Frye and off-duty Manchester, N.H., firefighter Keith Knight, who was also at the accident scene, attempted to free Marques, who was trapped inside his vehicle, which had rolled about 20 feet down an embankment. It came to rest on the driver's side and immediately caught fire, police said.

Frye and Knight attempted several times to remove the driver, who was pinned in the vehicle. His legs were trapped under the dashboard. The injured driver continually called out in pain and pleaded for them not to let him burn. The vehicle was heavily involved with fire at the time.

Frye entered the vehicle through the front windshield without regard for his own personal safety, police said, and moved the driver's seat and back section, then reached under the dash and pulled Marques' trapped legs free. He then pulled Marques out over the dashboard through the windshield with the assistance of Knight.

The vehicle was engulfed in flames seconds after the driver was pulled to safety.

Frye was taken to a local hospital with smoke and chemical inhalation injuries and minor cuts and scrapes. He has since been treated and released.

Marques was taken to Lawrence General Hospital for treatment and was in stable condition, according to a report by the Eagle Tribune.

Michael Moura of Medford, a "sparkie" who follows police and fire scanner traffic as a hobby, got to the scene shortly after it happened.

He chronicled this account on his online blog, Mikes Public Safety Photography:

"I was minutes away from this when it was dispatched over the air so I took to the highway and headed for the scene. Upon my arrival there were at least 2 vehicles involved 1 of which had lost control and subsequently traveled across all 4 lanes of the northbound side went airborne through a highway sign and finally coming to rest on its side in the woods to the right side of the roadway and bursting into flames," writes Moura. The 2 right lanes as well as the breakdown lane of the highway were shutdown so officials could work the scene. The roadway was completely open to all traffic around 8:30 p.m."

The incident is under investigation by the .