Officer's Heroic Car Rescue
Southlake Officer Rescues Driver from Burning Car by Breaking Window, Receives Meritorious Award
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A Texas police officer smashed through a burning car window with his bare hand to save a trapped driver on June 7. Southlake Police Department Cpl. Joshua Swisher has now spoken out about the dramatic rescue, which was caught on both dashcam and body camera footage, according to ABC7.
Swisher was on his way to a traffic stop along State Highway 114 when he spotted a vehicle pouring heavy smoke. Within moments, the car burst into flames — and Swisher had to act fast.
Door Handle Broke, So He Used His Fist
When Swisher reached the burning car, he tried the door first. The handle snapped off in his hand. Body camera footage captured the exact moment it broke, ABC7 News reported. With the door locked and flames growing, Swisher punched through the car window to reach the driver inside.
Swisher then pulled the driver out through the broken window. The entire rescue happened in seconds. The driver escaped before the fire spread further through the vehicle.
Swisher Spotted the Emergency While on Another Call
Swisher was already responding to a separate traffic stop when he noticed the smoking vehicle on State Highway 114. He followed the car and directed it to pull onto the shoulder, according to ABC7 NY. Moments after it stopped, the vehicle suddenly caught fire.
The situation went from a routine traffic call to a life-or-death rescue in a matter of seconds. Swisher had no time to wait for backup or firefighters. He moved in alone.
Department Awards Swisher Its Second-Highest Honor
The Southlake Police Department recognized Swisher's actions with the Meritorious Conduct Award — the department's second-highest honor, ABC11 reported. The award is given for acts of bravery that go beyond what the job normally requires.
Both the dashcam and body camera footage have since been shared publicly, showing the full sequence of events. The video shows Swisher trying the door handle, watching it break off, and then immediately breaking the window to free the driver.
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