Last Sunday morning, a Maynard police officer's quick response to a vehicle collision led to the rescue of a driver from a truck that would soon be engulfed in flames. According to a report by NBC Boston, Officer Joseph Noonan was informed of the accident by a bystander around 4:15 a.m., finding the truck crashed into a utility pole on Great Road.
Upon arrival at the scene, Officer Noonan noticed a fire starting under the front engine of the vehicle. The driver, alert yet unresponsive to directions, seemed unaware of the danger. Boston 25 News reported, "While Officer Noonan was assessing the scene, he observed a small fire under the front engine bay of the vehicle beginning to form." Not long after the small fire was spotted, the truck began to fill with smoke, and flames escalated rapidly.
Without hesitation, and with a narrow margin of time, Officer Noonan extricated the driver from the vehicle through the window just before the truck was consumed by flames. "The vehicle quickly began to fill with smoke, and flames began to grow. Officer Noonan, through quick actions, pulled the operator from the vehicle’s window within seconds of the car becoming engulfed in flames," as mentioned by Boston 25 News.
Following the incident, emergency services attended to the driver, named Tyler Curtis, age 32, of Clinton. After being evaluated by EMS and declining hospital transport, Curtis was found by police to be under the influence of alcohol. He now faces charges including OUI Liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and a marked lanes violation. His arraignment was set for Monday in Concord District Court, as per the police statement. Amidst these events, commendations for Officer Noonan's brave conduct were echoed by officials, with Maynard Fire Capt. Travis Gross affirming to NBC Boston, "Officer Noonan’s actions this morning, without question, turned what would have been a fatality into a patient refusal."
