CHP Officers Rescue Injured Driver From Burning Vehicle In Livermore
DUBLIN (CBS SF) -- Two California Highway Patrol officers were being called heroes Wednesday after they rescued a badly injured female driver from her burning vehicle in a suspected DUI crash in Livermore, authorities said.
The crash took place on Raymond Road at Dagnino Road in Livermore at 12:55 a.m. Sunday.
CHP officers Samuel Garcia-Zepeda and Luis Toris were on overnight patrol when they got a call reporting a solo vehicle accident. When they came upon the crash scene, the officers saw the badly damaged vehicle had left the roadway and its engine had caught fire.
As the hillside underneath the vehicle caught fire, Garcia-Zepeda approached the vehicle and saw that the female driver had suffered major injuries from the collision and was trapped inside.
He jumped into the burning vehicle and pulled the woman out of the vehicle while Toris attempted to extinguish the fire. The officers carried the woman up the dirt embankment and laid her down in the roadway safely away from the burning vehicle.
"Their bravery and willingness to risk their lives is honorable," Dublin CHP Area Commander Captain Christopher Sherry said. "These officers lived up to their sworn oaths as a public protectors. Had it not been for Officers Garcia-Zepeda and Toris, the driver would have been trapped in her burning vehicle, possibly dying. They are true heroes."
During the rescue, Garcia-Zepeda injured his ankle.
It was determined the female driver may have been under the influence. She was transported to Eden Hospital in Castro Valley where she was admitted for her injuries. The CHP will be filing driving under the influence charges with the District Attorney's Office.
