Dramatic video shows hero cops drag dazed driver from car before train smashes into it
Police vehicle dashcam footage shows quick-thinking officers in a life-or-death incident, desperately pulling the driver from the car just after midnight May 12 as the railroad crossing gates are dropping down with warning lights flashing and bells sounding.
"We're dragging him out of the car. The car is stuck," an officer can be heard saying over the police radio system.
Screams and howls then ring out, although it isn't clear from whom.
"It's going to hit the car," the officer says as the train blasts its horn.
Seconds later, the train smashes into the car, which appears to be a Tesla.
The two officers, Devin Hinchcliffe and John Ward of the Piscataway Township Police Department, have been praised for their heroism in saving the driver's life.
"Recognizing the imminent danger posed by an approaching train, the officers swiftly and safely removed the driver just seconds before impact," the Piscataway Township Police Department said in a news release on Facebook.
"Their quick action prevented a potential tragedy, and we commend Officer Hinchcliffe and Officer Ward for their prompt and effective response."
The near-tragic incident happened on New Brunswick Avenue.
Police said that because of the driver's impaired condition, "he was unable to follow instructions to exit the vehicle."
"Their professionalism and quick decision-making undoubtedly prevented a tragedy," the department wrote in another post. "Excellent job!"
It is unclear what was wrong with the driver and how the car became stuck on the tracks.
Facebook users gave high praise to the officers and hailed them as heroes for their selfless actions.
"This is amazing. God bless them. They do not get paid enough," one woman wrote.
"Thank you for always putting your life on the line to protect someone else's and trying to keep the community safe," wrote another. "#BACK THE BLUE."
The incident happened days before dashcam footage showed the moment an out-of-control dump truck smashed into a New Jersey home after its driver had a medical emergency.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former Kentucky police officer Brett Hankison sentenced to three years in prison over Breonna Taylor death
A former Kentucky police officer has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the botched drugs raid that killed Breonna Taylor. Brett Hankison's 10 shots did not hit anyone - but he is the only person at the scene charged over her death in 2020. The sentence comes despite the US Department of Justice recommending he should not be locked up. District judge Rebecca Grady Jennings disagreed, arguing that not imprisoning him would minimise the jury's verdict. She said she was "startled" people weren't hurt by his excessive shooting. Hankison's shots narrowly missed a neighbouring family after they pierced the walls of Ms Taylor's apartment. , 26, was killed in March 2020 when Louisville officers carried out a "no-knock" warrant and broke down her door. Her boyfriend thought it was someone breaking in and fired a single shot in self-defence, hitting one officer in the leg. Three officers responded with 32 shots, six of which struck and killed Ms Taylor. She was hit in her hallway by bullets from two officers, but neither was charged after prosecutors said they were justified in returning fire. It later emerged police were actually searching for an ex-partner of Ms Taylor - an alleged drug dealer - who did not live at the address. Her death, along with other killings of black people in 2020 including and Ahmaud Arbery, sparked protests around the US and the world. On Monday, Hankison, 49, was sentenced to 33 months with three years of supervised probation. He won't be locked up immediately and it will be for the US Bureau of Prisons to decide when and where he will be imprisoned. A statement from Ms Taylor's family said: "While today's sentence is not what we had hoped for - nor does it fully reflect the severity of the harm caused - it is more than what the Department of Justice sought. That, in itself, is a statement." Three other former police officers who weren't at the scene have been charged with crafting a falsified warrant but have not gone to trial.
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The House speaker is stalling for Trump, days after saying the public deserves transparency.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to spare Donald Trump from another Jeffrey Epstein headache—at least for now. As uproar from the MAGA base continues, the GOP leader said there will be no vote on any measure related to the so-called 'Epstein files' before lawmakers head off on Thursday for summer break until September. Johnson insisted there's 'no daylight' between House Republicans and the president, citing Trump's call last week for the Justice Department to make public grand jury testimony from the Epstein prosecution.
Washington Post
11 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Toddler shot and wounded in Southeast D.C., police say
A 1-year-old girl was shot and wounded Monday evening in Southeast Washington, D.C. police said. The girl was taken to a hospital with a wound that was not thought to be life-threatening, said Freddie Talbert, a spokeswoman for the police. She had been hit in an arm, Talbert said. The shooting was reported at about 7:10 p.m. in the 800 block of Yuma Street SE, Talbert said. Detectives are investigating, but no information was immediately available about any suspect or motive. Police gave a description of an SUV that they called a 'vehicle of interest.' It was described only as a dark gray Cherokee. However, no information was available about any connection between the vehicle and the shooting. The child appeared to be among the youngest to be hit by gunfire in the city this year. The site of the shooting is a residential street that includes two-story attached duplexes. It is in the Washington Highlands neighborhood, across the street from the Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center.
