Warning Viewer Discretion is Advised
August 31, 2023 - Imperial County Sheriff's Office officials report that on Sunday, August 13, 2023, at approximately 4:11 A.M. (0411 hours), an Imperial County Sheriff’s Deputy from the Salton City Sub-Station was conducting routine patrol along Highway 86 and 72nd Avenue. While he was in the area, he came across a two-vehicle traffic collision that had just occurred. One vehicle had come to a halt, blocking the northbound lanes of Highway 86, while another came to rest on the east shoulder of Highway 86. The Deputy positioned his patrol vehicle on Highway 86 and activated his overhead emergency lights to caution other motorists of the traffic accident and the obstructed highway.
The Deputy exited his patrol vehicle and immediately started to evacuate the passengers from the first vehicle. The driver was trapped inside and the Deputy cut through the seatbelt. The driver was able to get out and remove a young child from the rear seat.
An injured female passenger was trapped in the rear and had to be dragged to safety on the shoulder of Highway 86. The front passenger was trapped and the vehicle began to catch fire, escalating the urgency of the rescue. The Deputy attempted to extinguish the vehicle fire by utilizing his department issued fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher did not subdue the flames and the fire continued to spread. The Deputy then cut the seatbelt off of the front passenger and forcefully removed her due to her being partially trapped under the dashboard of the vehicle. The Deputy was able to successfully extricate all passengers from the vehicle before the entire vehicle became engulfed in flames.
The Deputy's quick thinking, unwavering courage, and selfless act of heroism helped save the lives of all the occupants within the vehicle.
The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank AMR, CAL FIRE, and the California Highway Patrol for their quick response and assisting with this critical incident. The cause of this accident is still under investigation.
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Source: Imperial County Sheriff's Office
