East St. Louis Police Officer Jaylon Lee was honored with the city's Life-Saving Valor Award for a rescue involving a burning vehicle.
According to the RiverBender.com, the East St. Louis Police Department described Lee's rescue involving a burning vehicle as courageous.
Police Describe Rescue as Courageous
The department described Lee's vehicle rescue as courageous, according to the same report.
A Pattern Seen Beyond East St. Louis
Burning-vehicle rescues by police officers aren't unheard of in the region. Earlier this year, a Webster Groves officer pulled a driver from a burning car on Interstate 44 after the vehicle rolled over following a rear-end collision, according to firstalert4.com. That officer, Patrolman Alex Edgar, was caught on his cruiser's dashcam freeing the trapped driver, who escaped with only minor injuries.
There's no indication the East St. Louis incident involved a crash on a highway or any of the same circumstances as the Webster Groves case — the two rescues simply share a common thread of officers acting fast when a vehicle fire put a life at immediate risk. For East St. Louis, the Life-Saving Valor Award stands as the department's formal recognition of Lee's actions.
