Would you do what these officers did??

SPARK · #1 09-07-2011, 06:09 PM

DES MOINES, Iowa --

Dramatic new video just released by Des Moines police shows officers pulling people out from a burning car during a fatal crash on Aug. 28.

The dash-camera video shows officers arriving on the scene and working to put out the fire on the bottom side of a flipped car. The car is engulfed in flames as officers beat on the frame to try to get the doors open.

A person inside the burning vehicle can be heard calling for help.

The crash happened at 3 a.m. at the intersection of Southeast 14th Street. Police said a car traveling at a high rate of speed crashed into a Ford Explorer. Police said the driver of the car didn't stop at a traffic signal.

An officer just arriving at the scene can be heard calling dispatch, "We have people in the vehicle, on its side."

The driver of the Explorer, Jennifer Garcia, 17, died. Three other occupants, Alexandra Cordova, 18, Irania Cordova, 14, and Alejandro Garcia, 20, were taken to a hospital with injuries.

An officer can be seen exhausting multiple fire extinguishers trying to put out the fire.

Two occupants of the car, driver Michael Lomax, 21, and passenger Feliciano White, 22, were taken to a hospital.

Other officers are seen in the video climbing on top of the SUV and pulling out a people trapped inside. Another person was pulled out a back window after officer were able to break it out.

An officer is heard calling dispatch again, "Advise F.D. (fire department), we have several injured. We need several squads."

Two of the passengers in Garcia’s car will have lengthy hospital stays: one will be in the hospital for three to four weeks while the other will remain for up to two months.

Police said Officers Aaron Cawthorn, Colin Boone, Jeremy Sprague, Robin Swank and reserve Officer John Carter were involved in the rescue effort.

Garcia's funeral was held on Thursday.

Police said Lomax was arrested and charged in the case when he was released from the hospital at 4 p.m. Thursday. Lomax is charged with vehicular homicide by recklessness and failure to obey a traffic control signal.

Police said Lomax made bail at 3:22 a.m. on Friday and was released from jail. A court date for his next hearing has not yet been set.

Police said they are waiting for toxicology test results related to the case and other charges could be filed.

The crash remains under investigation.

Gobbler's Knob · #2 09-07-2011, 06:16 PM

Watch how slow the fire truck pulls up. Pathetic.

smooth53_98 · #3 09-07-2011, 09:13 PM

Did you expect the firefighters to be driving around like the PD? Honestly, making the scene in less than 3 minutes is pretty good considering the fact that the firemen had to gear up, get on the truck, and get there from a fixed station and not from a moving start like the PD. Just my 2 cents (speaking as a former firefighter).

grzftbl · #4 09-07-2011, 09:30 PM

"Would I do what these officers did?"

I would like to think I would. Kudo's to the officers.

Gobbler's Knob · #5 09-07-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smooth53_98

Did you expect the firefighters to be driving around like the PD? Honestly, making the scene in less than 3 minutes is pretty good considering the fact that the firemen had to gear up, get on the truck, and get there from a fixed station and not from a moving start like the PD. Just my 2 cents (speaking as a former firefighter).

Fine but once they turned the corner they were in no hurry. Good for you that is noble work but to me they showed little urgency. Just my 2 cents.