Former Morris County Cop Makes Daring New Year’s Day Rescue

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A former Morris County Sheriff's officer and current Millburn police officer made a courageous New Year’s Day rescue, putting his safety at risk to save a 70-year-old woman from a burning car, authorities said.

According to the Millburn Police Department, officer Donald Royce, a Lincoln Park resident and former law enforcement officer in Morris County, was working the New Year’s Day shift when he was called to a wooded area off Gilbert Place on a report of a fire. On arrival, Royce found a 2004 Jaguar XT3 disabled in the woods with its engine compartment totally engulfed in flames.

Noticing that the passenger compartment of the car was filling up with noxious smoke, Royce removed the passenger from the burning vehicle and dragged her to safety, authorities said.

Emergency responders transported the woman to the hospital for evaluation from the Millburn First Aid Squad, and firefighters from the Millburn Fire Department arrived on scene soon afterwards to extinguish the flames, police said.

-Reporting by Eric Kiefer

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