This browser does not support the Video element.
Fraser officer pulls woman from burning vehicle
Dashcam footage from Fraser police shows the moments an officer pulled a woman from a burning truck.
FRASER, Mich. (FOX 2) - Harrowing video taken from a Fraser police cruiser caught the moment when an officer pulled a woman from a burning pickup truck.
Pulling up in Macomb County late Saturday night, Officer Cameron Rieper can be seen sprinting from his vehicle to the truck, which was stuck in the median of Hayes Street.
"There was flames in like the bed area of the truck and then the engine compartment was just starting to catch on fire," he said.
Rieper was the first officer on scene - and is largely the reason the driver survived the ordeal.
Dashcam footage shows him reaching into the driver's seat and pulling the individual. At first, the woman wouldn't budge, choosing instead to grab the steering wheel.
"She appeared confused, wasn’t really answering questions. She was still inside the vehicle so I opened the door, took her safety belt off and tried to get her out of the car," said Rieper.
Rieper wasn't just the first officer on scene. He used to be a firefighter and when he came upon the blaze, his instincts kicked in and her safety became his top priority.
"She was an elderly female. It’s not really unknown if she had a medical issue or what exactly happened before the original crash," he said.
The woman is now recovering at the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Rieper offered some helpful tips for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.
"Do your best to try to assist the driver. Yell to them to get out of the car, informing our dispatch exactly what’s going on just so we have accurate information when we get on scene and we know what we're walking into," said Rieper.