CLEVELAND — Members of the University Circle Police Department are being saluted for their "quick thinking decisiveness" and heroic actions in saving a trapped driver from a damaged car.
The department says the incident took place in the early morning hours of Sunday at the area of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. and Cedar Avenue under the Train Bridge.
Officers arrived at the scene to find smoke emanating from a "heavily damaged" Kia while the driver was trapped inside and unresponsive. The car had flipped over following a crash.
Amid concerns about a car fire, a driver in need of medical attention, and the possibility that other occupants might be trapped, officers broke through the windshield and got the driver out. They also used a fire extinguisher to spray the front end of the vehicle.
The team effort in the rescue included members of the Case Western Reserve University Police Department, the Cleveland Division of Police, the Cleveland Division of Fire, and EMS.
"Really impressed with the quick thinking decisiveness of the officers and their actions which helped get this driver to safety. Police officers, fire fighters, and medics really work well together in our community," University Circle Police Chief Thomas Wetzel told 3News.
Wetzel says commendations letters were written for Officer Mike Harris, Officer Drayy Wilkerson and Dispatcher Katy Michaels. The department is also requesting a "General Commendation" from the American Police Hall of Fame Awards division for the "excellent" work of its officers.