‘Tell My Wife I Love Her,’ Husband in Burning Truck Said to 911 Before Officer Rescued Him
“I’m not gonna leave him in there,” an Ohio police officer said in the newly-released footage
Police have shared bodycam footage showing the dramatic rescue of a man from a fiery pickup truck crash on an Ohio interstate.
According to the Columbus Division of Police, the gray Dodge Ram pickup truck was traveling southbound on Interstate 71 when it approached the Interstate 270 interchange on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at around 4:41 a.m. local time.
Then, “the vehicle left the pavement on the west side of Interstate 71 and struck a concrete support pillar of the Interstate 270 overpass. The vehicle sustained serious damage and caught fire,” according to the police’s report.
Related: Texas Police Officer Rescues Man from Burning Car: 'I’m Not Going to Let This Guy Die on Me'
“The victim sustained critical life-threatening injuries from the incident but has been upgraded to stable condition. He is expected to survive his injuries,” authorities tell PEOPLE in a statement on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
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The Columbus Division of Police later shared bodycam footage of the incident, which showed officers running towards the burning truck whose passenger side was significantly dented and the driver door stuck, CBS affiliate WBNS reported.
“I’m not gonna leave him in there,” a police officer could be heard saying in the footage about the driver.
The officer went over to the truck’s left side and opened the back passenger door, calling on the driver to take her hand, the video showed. Eventually, the officer was able to pull the driver out as another officer and a bystander arrived to help, WBNS added.
ABC affiliate WSYX shared a 911 dispatch call made by the driver, who identified himself as Randy. In the audio, he told the dispatcher that his truck struck a highway pillar.
"I got up on I-270, and it's, I can't slow it down," the man told the dispatcher.
As the truck was engulfed in flames, the man said, “It's getting really hot in here. I can't get out. My ankle is broken."
Concerned that he may not survive his ordeal, the driver passed along a message to his wife: "Tell my wife I love her."
The officer who pulled out the driver from the truck was identified as Officer Gloria West, WSYX reported. She was treated for minor burns and is expected to be okay.
Columbus Police said in their report that an accident investigation unit responded to the scene and that an investigation is ongoing.
