An officer and a motorist pulled a driver from a vehicle just seconds before it was fully engulfed in flames early Thursday on the Downtown Connector, police said.
"This morning on her commute home Officer (Lois) Strong was in the right place at the right time," the Brookhaven Police Department said in a Facebook post Thursday.
A southbound tractor-trailer hit a vehicle at University Avenue, causing the vehicle to burst into flames. The tractor-trailer was hauling more than 21,000 pounds of overhead doors, Channel 2 Action News reported.
“Officer Strong sprung into action along with another motorist and pulled the driver from the burning vehicle,” according to the Facebook post. “Seconds later the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.”
At one point, the crash blocked all southbound lanes on the Connector and the left lane of the University Avenue ramp and caused huge delays. All lanes reopened just after 7 a.m.
“Instances like this do not happen everyday but when they do it’s good to know officers as courageous as Officer Strong are out there,” Brookhaven police said in the Facebook post.
Strong has worked as Brookhaven officer since July.
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