Sentinel staff report–
Two Citrus Heights police officers were credited with helping pull an unconscious driver from a burning vehicle on Auburn Boulevard, following an early morning collision on Thursday.
In a news release, police said two officers were responding to an unrelated call around 4 a.m. Thursday when they heard the sounds of screeching tires nearby. While driving to the area of the sounds, a 911 call was received regarding a solo vehicle collision on Auburn Boulevard near Greenback Lane, with the caller advising the vehicle was on fire.
Police said the two officers found a four-door sedan high-centered on the center median, with flames coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle’s interior filled with smoke. After finding the driver unconscious in his seat, officers pulled him out of the car and then tried to extinguish the fire.
Although the officers were unable to stop the blaze using their fire extinguishers, police said Metro Fire personnel arrived on scene and were able to quickly extinguish the fire.
The driver, described only as an adult male, was treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital. One of the officers, Joshua Page, was also treated and released for minor injuries he received while pulling the man from the burning car.
“You train for these types of things and you expect for them to happen, but it was a first for me,” Page told Fox 40 in an interview following the incident.
“Officer Page is to be commended for his heroic actions that no doubt saved this driver’s life,” said Citrus Heights Police Chief Ron Lawrence in Thursday’s news release. “Police officers all over the world risk their lives every day for the communities they serve. Every call an officer responds to has the potential to become life threatening. This is a risk all officers are subjected to, to protect the innocent.”
The cause of Thursday’s collision is still under investigation and police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact the police department’s non-emergency line at (916) 727-5500.
An interview with both officers about the incident can be viewed online at Fox40.com.
