On March 18, dashboard camera video from a Webster Groves police cruiser captured Patrolman Alex Edgar sprinting toward an overturned, burning vehicle on eastbound Interstate 44 near Elm Avenue and pulling a trapped driver out through the car’s sunroof. The driver suffered only minor injuries, and the department later released the dramatic footage.
Dashcam Shows Split-Second Sunroof Rescue
The dashcam video released by the department shows Edgar rushing up to the overturned car and trying to smash the sunroof before spotting an opening of about one foot. He then works the driver through that narrow gap and drags him away from the flames. “I can’t say I was thinking a whole lot in the moment other than just run up there,” Edgar told reporters, describing the rescue as instinctive, as reported by KCTV5.
City Praises Officer’s ‘Incredible Bravery’
The City of Webster Groves issued a news release that praised Edgar’s “incredible bravery” and called the rescue “a powerful reminder of the risks our officers take every day,” according to the City of Webster Groves. The city also shared the dashcam video on its own channels and publicly thanked Edgar for acting without hesitation.
Highway Hero Clip Travels Beyond St. Louis
The Webster Groves Police Department posted the footage on Facebook, and the post notes that the video has been shared by national outlets, according to the Webster Groves Police Department. Stations across the country, including Local10, also ran versions of the dashcam clip.
Edgar, a second-year patrolman, told reporters he first tried to break the sunroof and then pulled the man through the opening because “it was better than burning alive.” The department says the rescue highlights the split-second decisions officers face on the highway and has prompted praise from neighbors and officials, as reported by KCTV5.
