An off-duty San Antonio police officer turned a routine drive on U.S. 281 into a life-or-death rescue last Thursday, racing toward a burning pickup after a rollover crash and dragging a man away from the flames. The violent collision killed another driver and left investigators working a fatal fire scene along the busy highway. Dashcam video shows the officer jumping out of his own vehicle and sprinting toward the smoking wreckage as traffic crawls past.
Dashcam Captures Split-Second Decision
The dashcam clip, released by the San Antonio Police Department, shows Officer Noel Mercado driving with his wife before he suddenly pulls over, jumps out and runs straight toward a pickup already engulfed in flames. Mercado checks the cab and helps pull a man away from the fire as emergency crews race to the scene. In the department video, he shrugs off the drama of the moment, saying, “It’s just instinct.” The footage appears on SAPD’s official Facebook, and the incident was also covered by the San Antonio Express-News.
Crash Details And Arrest
According to police, the wreck unfolded around 7 p.m. in the 22700 block of southbound U.S. 281 near Stone Oak Parkway. Investigators say a Chevrolet pickup that was improperly towing a Dodge Ram drifted into a highway attenuator. The impact sent both trucks onto the shoulder, where they caught fire. The driver of the Dodge was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the Chevrolet got out of the truck. Officers later arrested 35-year-old Gerson Adony Godoy Villalta on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. KSAT reported the arrest and details from the crash scene.
Charges And Legal Stakes
Villalta was booked into the Bexar County jail on a $150,000 bond and faces counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and driving while intoxicated, according to local reports. Under Texas law, intoxication manslaughter is typically a second-degree felony that can carry a prison sentence ranging from two to twenty years and fines up to $10,000, per Texas Penal Code §49.08. The San Antonio Express-News reported on Villalta’s booking and bond.
Ongoing Investigation And Next Steps
The San Antonio Police Department has said the investigation is still active and has asked anyone with information about the crash to contact detectives, according to local coverage. Mercado has continued to downplay his role, again calling his response instinctive in the department video, while investigators work to collect evidence and interview witnesses. Prosecutors will review the full case file before formal charges are filed, and the case is expected to move through Bexar County courts in the coming weeks, as reported by KSAT.
