COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Division of Police released body camera video showing officers rescuing a man from a burning pickup truck on Interstate 71 on the city’s north side.
Around 4:40 a.m. Wednesday, the driver of a 2014 Dodge Ram called 911 and told dispatchers that his vehicle was speeding up by itself and he was unable to slow down. The driver was heading south on I-71, just north of I-270.
In the 911 call, the driver yelled to the dispatcher “I’m not going to make it” twice before he struck a support beam under the bridge of I-270 East to I-71 North.
After a brief moment of silence, the driver — sounding disoriented and in pain — told the dispatcher that his truck was on fire. The dispatcher asked him if he was able to leave his vehicle and he said no.
The driver was on the phone with the dispatcher until officers arrived.
The body camera video released by police Friday shows two officers arriving at the crash scene at 4:44 a.m. As they ran up to the truck, one of them asked the driver if he was still in there and no response was given.
The officers attempted to open the front driver and passenger doors of the truck but were not successful. The male officer is heard in the video telling the female officer to back up from the truck.
“I’m not going to leave him in there,” the female officer said.
The female officer ran to the left side of the truck and opened the back passenger door. She shouted at the driver to come her way and grab her hand.
The video was redacted by a black bar covering half of the screen, but the female officer pulled the driver out of the pickup truck and onto the ground. At that point, another officer and a bystander arrived at the scene to assist.
The officers pulled the driver away from the fire and officers tended to him before medics arrived.
He was taken to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for critical injuries. Police said his condition improved and he was expected to survive.
All lanes of I-71 South at I-270 and both I-270 ramps were shut down for most of the morning commute on Wednesday as crews worked to extinguish the fire and clear the scene.
Officials with the Ohio Department of Transportation inspected the bridge at the I-71/I-270 split because it was impacted by the fire. Crews determined that the bridge was safe for commuters to drive on.