Man Rescued From Burning Car By Roselle Park Police, Firefighter

ROSELLE PARK, NJ — Roselle Park Police and firefighters rescued a man from a burning car on Saturday morning.

At 7:41 a.m., Roselle Park Police received several calls about the vehicle parked on the 100 Block of West Lincoln Ave. Callers reported a strange noise coming from the car that was causing a smoke condition. A 911 call later reported the vehicle was on fire.

When Roselle Park Patrolmen Robert Harms, Michael Smith, Jeffery Smith and Avsar Patels arrived at the scene, the vehicle’s engine compartment was engulfed in flames, Roselle Park Police report.

Due to tinted windows on the car, Harms had to break a window to be able to see inside, which was now filled with black smoke, police report.

Harms saw the silhouette of a head in the driver’s seat and then opened the driver’s door. With the help of Deputy Chief No. 2 Steven Thompson, they physically removed a man, who was slumped over the steering wheel and dragged him to safety, police report.

The 42-year-old man, with a last known address from Everett, Washington, refused to get out, appeared disoriented and resisted the officer’s efforts to remove him from the burning vehicle, police reported.

Once outside, the driver was alert and speaking. The man did not suffer any visible serious injuries and was transported to Trinitas Hospital for further evaluation.

The scene was then turned over to the Union County Arson Squad and the Union County Sheriff’s Crime Scene and Identification Unit for investigation.

It was later found that the driver has been previously seen sleeping inside of the running vehicle for extended hours and may have pressed on the gas pedal for an extended period causing the engine to overheat and eventually catch fire, according to the preliminary investigation.

“I would like to commend and thank the alert citizen for first reporting the incident before the fire actually began. This is a great example of, ‘If you see something, say something.’ Citizens who take an active role in our communities keep us all safe and can actually save lives," Police Chief Paul W. Morrison stated.

"The heroic efforts of all involved played an instrumental part in the positive outcome of this incident. There could have been a very different and possibly tragic ending to this incident if it had not been for the quick actions of Officer Robert Harms and the heroic act of Harms and Deputy Chief Thompson in risking personal injury to protect the life of another,” Morrison said.

Watch the rescue below:

(Image and video via Roselle Park Police)

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