PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — The Pasco County Sheriff's Office released incredible body camera footage on Friday that showed deputies racing to rescue a woman from a fiery crash in December.
According to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash happened on December 29 just before 12:30 a.m.
A 30-year-old Spring Hill woman was driving a 2011 Infiniti G37 the wrong way on the northbound Suncoast Parkway on the State Road 52 overpass when she crashed nearly head-on into a 2019 Ford Fusion, according to the crash report.
The report said troopers suspected that the woman was impaired. A blood test was given and toxicology results and any possible charges are pending, FHP said.
After the impact, the report said the Infiniti crashed into the guardrail and came to a final stop on top of and partially over the rail. The vehicle caught fire and the woman was trapped inside, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputy Justin Keene, Cpl. James Dominguez, Sgt. Tyler Croker and Deputy Josh Yanzer arrived before Pasco County Fire Rescue and used three fire extinguishers in an attempt to smother the flames but the sheriff's office said the flames returned each time.
Deputy Yanzer's body camera captured him running up to the burning vehicle.
"Once the fire extinguisher ran out, we saw flames still encroaching on the vehicle, didn’t really know what to do at the time just knew that I couldn’t freeze," said Deputy Yanzer.
Deputy Yanzer was able to bend the car door so the deputies could pull the driver to safety.
"Our sole purpose is to get this lady to safety so that’s our primary focus, thankfully, he was able to get that door bent down a little bit which opened up a bigger window for us to pull her from," said Sgt. Tyler Croker with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
"I think the most intense part was the smoke. Every time we go into the car to pull her out, it was more the smoke not the flames that pulled us back," said Deputy Justin Keene.
Warning: This video contains graphic images and explicit language. Viewer discretion is advised.
The woman, who ABC Action News is not naming as she isn't facing charges at this time, was taken to Bayonet Point Hospital with "incapacitating" injuries. Her current condition is not known.
The second driver, a 30-year-old man from Spring Hill, was also taken to Bayonet Point Hospital. His injuries were listed as "not incapacitating" in the crash report.
He told troopers while in the hospital that he was driving northbound at the time of the crash when he saw headlights directly in front of him, according to the report.
The sheriff's office said it was sharing the dramatic video to "show the dangers our deputies face each shift."
"We’re proud of their selfless efforts to ensure the driver made it out of the car alive," the statement said.
