An off-duty Kansas City police detective and a Clay County sheriff’s deputy helped a driver escape a burning truck on I-35 in Claycomo. Detective Jason Findley had just finished his shift when he stopped at the scene; the driver was out of the truck before it exploded.
The crash happened Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 15, in Claycomo, according to KCTV. Findley pulled over and began helping the driver out of the burning cab.
He wasn't alone for long. Clay County Sheriff's Deputy Chase Blatt happened to be driving along the same stretch of interstate, noticed the crash, and rushed in to assist Findley. As noted by KCTV, the two pulled the disoriented driver safely away from the truck before it exploded.
The Driver Was Clear Before the Truck Exploded
The timing left little room for error. The truck's cab had already been burning by the time Findley reached it, and the driver was described as disoriented as the two men worked to get them clear. It was only after the driver had been moved a safe distance that the vehicle went up, according to the same account from the Sheriff's Office.
Per a report from KCTV, emergency medical personnel transported the driver to a nearby hospital for treatment of leg burns following the rescue, and officials said that without the rapid intervention of both law enforcement officials, the driver's injuries could have been far worse.
Another Interstate Vehicle-Fire Rescue
A separate Kansas City interstate incident involved a different vehicle and response. On July 9, 2025, firefighters rescued a driver from a work van with an engine fire, according to KCTV.
A Separate Kansas City-Area Vehicle-Fire Rescue
The Claycomo rescue involved an off-duty detective and a sheriff’s deputy who happened upon the crash. Neither the cause of that crash nor further details about the driver’s condition after hospital treatment have been made public.
