Heroic rescue of a driver after fire accident captured on bodycam video

HIGHLAND, Utah – A recently released bodycam video shows police efforts to save a driver from burning alive after a late-night crash.

Shortly after midnight on August 8, Officer Austin Williams was driving home from his shift with the Lone Peak Police Department when he saw a car speed past him. When Williams turned around, he soon saw the car hit a tree and catch fire.

“That was the most heartbreaking thing, him screaming and looking at me and yelling at me to help him, and I just had to watch,” Williams recalled Thursday. “I felt that even I was in so much pain and suffering and wished I could do something, and that I saw myself as the person who could save him and I wasn't able to.”

Below is the unedited bodycam video of Ofc. Goodale attempting to free the driver involved in the crash:

Highland lawn accident with fire2

But Williams did not have to feel helpless for long, because Officer Zach Goodale of the American Fork Police Department soon arrived on the scene and had an idea how to get the driver out of the vehicle.

“I knew I had a climbing rope in my car and he was almost visible out the window, so I thought if he passed out or something, I'd better put a rope around him so we could try to keep his head and face and chest out of the burning car until we figured something out,” Goodale explained.

The officers themselves provided assistance and are grateful for the information provided by a witness to the accident.

“I asked the officer, 'How can I help?'” Landon Waldvogel said. “And I went to get some water. He told me to get some water. So I just ran in, looked for a bucket and helped as best I could.”

Walvogel entered the house several times and constantly brought out buckets of water.

“If I were in this situation, I would want as much help as possible for everyone,” he said.

The following video shows Ofc. Williams rescuing the driver after an accident:

Highland lawn accident with fire1

The family of the unidentified driver issued a statement thanking those who rescued him that night.

“Today is a good day and things are looking good,” he wrote. “We are at a point where we can take care of the more trivial matters surrounding the accident. We would like to extend our thanks and appreciation directly to the individuals who have helped so far.”

The driver is still in hospital with second-degree burns but is expected to make a full recovery.

“When we finally got him out of the vehicle, it was a very uplifting feeling,” Williams said. “It wasn't a heroic moment where I thought, I'm so proud of myself. It was just so happy to see someone who was in so much pain be released from it.”