A Columbus police officer demonstrated remarkable bravery when she rescued a man from a burning truck after an accident on a local interstate last Wednesday. Officer Gloria West, who is still in her first year with the Columbus Division of Police, was responding to a 911 call when she encountered the flaming wreck.
Despite suffering second-degree burns during the rescue, West recounted the harrowing incident without a hint of self-congratulation. "We don't really have time to think; we just got to do," West told FOX28. Body camera footage captured the urgency of the situation as West and her partner approached the burning vehicle, which had crashed following apparent brake problems.
West's actions were pivotal in the survival of a man who was trapped inside his truck, which erupted in flames after striking a bridge near Polaris. According to an NBC4i report, West located an unlocked door and encouraged the man to reach for her. "I just kind of pulled over everything I had," she explained. The victim, who was still conscious and suffering from a broken ankle, was pulled to safety moments before the flames intensified.
Following the successful extraction, West and her partner worked to keep the man stable until medics arrived, even as his clothing was still aflame. "We just kept him stable, kept talking to him and making sure he stopped saying he was going to die and try to get some positive energy going on there," West detailed in a statement obtained by NBC4i. The rescued man was hospitalized with burns and broken bones but was reported to be in stable condition.
The Columbus Division of Police has yet to determine the official cause of the crash. However, accident investigators are looking into the possibility of a vehicle malfunction. Meanwhile, now with bandaged hands, Officer West downplays her courageous actions. "I was just doing my job. I think not even as a police officer, as a human if you have the means to help someone, especially someone's life, you should absolutely do what it takes," West conveyed to WBNS.
