Southampton Police Officer Saves Man From Burning Car

A Southampton Town Police officer pulled a man from a burning vehicle following a single-car crash in North Sea early Friday.

According to police, a 911 call came in around midnight Friday reporting that a white sedan had crashed at North Sea Road and Raynor Road. The vehicle had rolled over and 911 callers told police the car was on fire with a person trapped inside.

Southampton Town Police Officer Eric Breitweiser responded within minutes and as the vehicle was burning, quickly broke the vehicle window, crawled inside and cut the seatbelt, freeing the driver. Police said Breitweiser’s quick reaction saved the driver from being burned inside the car.

The Southampton Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. The driver, later identified as 21-year-old Edmundo Soledad-Reyes, of Hampton Bays, was transported by Southampton Volunteer Ambulance to Southampton Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police determined that Sodedad-Reyes was intoxicated and he was subsequently charged with felony DWI, driving without a license and felony aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle due to a prior DWI conviction, police said.

Soledad-Reyes was released from the hospital and held for arraignment at Southampton Town Justice Court, where he was order held on $2,500 bail.

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