PGPD Patrol Officers Pull Man from Burning Car

The 911 call came in around 12:30 am for a car accident in Suitland. The caller reported a car was on fire, but didn’t think anyone was inside. Two PGPD patrol officers responded to the scene in the 2000 block of Lakewood Street. When they arrived, the car was fully engulfed in flames. Moments later, they realized the driver was still inside. They immediately began to try to get him out, but the flames were intense. Two additional officers then arrived on scene and raced to help. They grabbed their fire extinguishers, desperate to reach the driver. The heat caused a tire to explode. Time was of the essence. That’s when one of the officers used his baton to lift up the hot door handle. The officers grabbed the man and began pulling him out, but briefly lost grip when another tire exploded. The officers regrouped and with the help of a firefighter, they pulled the man from the car. Additional first responders now on scene worked to extinguish the fire. The victim suffered severe burns and internal injuries. The victim is in critical condition. Preliminarily, he is expected to survive.