State Trooper's Body Cam Catches Mad Dash to Burning Semi, Jaw-Dropping Rescue
A state trooper’s body camera captured a jaw-dropping rescue from a burning semi truck, only seconds before the fire engulfed the entire cab.
New Jersey State Trooper Robert Tarleton was handling a routine traffic stop Monday when he heard a massive crash, NorthJersey.com reported.
Looking at the source of the noise, the trooper saw a semi truck had crashed into a bridge.
Flames were leaping from the truck’s engine compartment and quickly engulfing the cab.
“As soon as I heard the crashing I looked up and I saw the tractor-trailer as it had crashed,” Tarleton told North Jersey. “I saw flames starting to come out of it.”
Tarleton sent the driver on his way, radioed for firefighters and jumped into action.
Video shows the trooper pulling his cruiser in close to the burning truck before making a mad dash for the seemingly trapped driver. A fellow state trooper, Lieutenant Edward Ryer, happened to be nearby, and he had already opened the driver’s side door.
Together, the two troopers pulled the man behind the wheel out.
The truck driver, 63-year-old Ron Hickman, appeared to be in a daze.
The state troopers dragged the driver across the roadway before realizing things were about to get much worse.
The fire, now spreading, threatened to cause a massive explosion.
“Fuel tank’s going,” Tarleton shouted, “we gotta get back!”
Watch the harrowing video below:
According to police, the rig exploded shortly after the amazing rescue.
It’s clear that Hickman would have been killed or seriously injured had the troopers not been at the right place at the right time.
Thankfully, these troopers’ quick action and sense of duty likely saved a life that day.
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