SAN ANTONIO – “I can’t get the driver out. The vehicle is on fire.”
A major crash resulted in a race against time for two San Antonio police officers as they rushed to save a woman from a burning vehicle.
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The crash happened on June 23 at St. Cloud and Donaldson on the city’s Northwest Side.
West Patrol Officer Samuel Botello was first to arrive at the scene after hearing the crash. Bodycam footage released by San Antonio police shows Botello running toward the woman’s vehicle, which was upside down.
Flames could be seen coming from the vehicle, and the woman was trapped in her seat, with the window rolled down.
Botello is heard shouting commands to others around him to help “keep the fire down” as he attacked the flames with a fire extinguisher.
Officer Roberto Mireles joined him at the scene.
“My immediate reaction was to jump out of the vehicle, run towards him,” Mireles said.
Botello is then seen trying to pry open the driver’s door. With no success, other officers join him in trying to open it.
“My worst fear was that the vehicle was gonna blow up and we wouldn’t be able to get the people inside the vehicle out,” Botello said.
Eventually, the door gave way enough for them to pull the woman out. Botello said officers were able to get her a safe distance away from the vehicle before they went and rescued the other vehicle’s occupants.
Several neighbors also came to the crash scene and helped keep the flames at bay with fire extinguishers.
Everyone involved in the crash survived, according to SAPD. You can watch the video of the incident below:
A HUGE shoutout to #SAPD West Patrol Officers Roberto Mireles #0852 and Samuel Botello #0304!
— San Antonio PD (@SATXPolice) July 6, 2022
Together, they helped save a women from a burning vehicle. Way to go Officers Mireles & Botello 💙 pic.twitter.com/I56HNH4GW1