Two South Brunswick police officers saved a driver’s life by rescuing him moments before his vehicle burst into flames following a crash in a neighboring town last week, officials said.
Officers Thomas Sites and Yash Shroff were the officers closest to Route 27 near Andover Road in Franklin, Somerset County, where the crash took place at 2:45 a.m. on Nov. 9.
When Sites and Shroff arrived, the 26-year-old man was unconscious inside the locked car with smoke pouring out of the front of the vehicle, according to Chief Raymond Hayducka.
Shroff was unable to break the window with his baton. Sites then retrieved a breaching tool from his patrol car as flames began to show from the front of the vehicle.
After first attempting to enter on the passenger’s side, Sites managed to smash the driver’s side window and reached through the broken glass to unlock the door.
The two officers then pulled the driver out of the car as flames neared their feet.
The vehicle was soon fully engulfed in flames.
The man was brought to an area hospital where he is recovering from his injuries. He is in stable condition.
“I have watched the video and it is the definition of heroic,” Hayducka said in a statement. “The driver is severely injured, trapped, and his car is on fire. The fire was quickly spreading and appears to be almost at officer Sites’ feet when they are able to free the driver. It is the split-second actions of these officers that this 26-year old is alive today.”
Fire departments from Little Rocky Hill, Griggstown, and Rocky Hill extinguished the car fire.
Jeff Goldman is a morning/early afternoon breaking and local news reporter for NJ Advance Media. He joined the Star-Ledger in 2010 after previously working as a high school sports reporter and sports copy… more
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