Video shows Mesquite police officer rescue woman from burning car
By: -----
Mesquite, TX - The Mesquite Police Department is praising one of its officers for a heroic act that was caught on camera.
A video shows dashcam footage of Officer Tyler Ingram on patrol just after midnight on Sept. 30, when he sees sparks fly and a car catch fire on the other side of the highway.
"As soon as I put my car in the park, I heard a collision," Ingram said. "I looked over to my left and saw that a car traveling westbound struck the concrete median, went airborne, and was engulfed in flames."
After exiting the highway and turning around, Ingram pulled up to the scene on Interstate 30 and Big Town Boulevard and saw a sedan in flames.
"As I got closer, I could hear screaming and found a female who was trapped in the car, her leg was pinned," Ingram said.
The video switches to his body-worn camera, showing the officer running up to the burning vehicle. The driver can be heard crying in pain. As Ingram calls for backup, he moves quickly as the fire spreads.
"You could definitely feel the heat, and it was just starting to crawl from the trunk area into the passenger compartment," he said.
The door was stuck, so Ingram tried to pull the woman out through the window, but was unable to. He eventually pried the door open and got her out about 30 seconds after reaching the car.
The video then shows Ingram and another officer providing first aid before paramedics arrived, including applying a tourniquet to her leg, which had a significant laceration, police said.
"This act of bravery serves as a powerful reminder of the courage and commitment our officers show every day," the department said in its Facebook post.
Mesquite police identified the driver as 21-year-old Jacqueline Tenorio of Dallas. She was later charged with driving while intoxicated.