East Point police officer saves man from burning car
Sgt. Henry Smith of the East Point Police Department is being hailed a hero after saving a man from his burning car earlier this month.
Just after 1 a.m. on Dec. 5, a passerby called authorities advising that there was a vehicle on fire and that a man was trapped inside at 3651 Washington Road near Arlington Road. Sgt. Smith was patrolling the area when the call was dispatched to him.
When Sgt. Smith arrived on the scene, he discovered that there was an unconscious man behind the wheel of a red Chevrolet Aveo. The hood of the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. Sgt. Smith attempted to open the driver’s door but was unsuccessful. He then pulled the driver out of his vehicle through the driver side window which was rolled down at the time. Sgt. Smith pulled the driver to a safety as the East Point Fire Department arrived to extinguish the fire.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that the 34-year-old driver was headed east at the intersection of Washington Road and Arlington Road when his car went off the road, hit a tree and caught on fire. The driver suffered injuries to his ankles and legs and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital.
He was cited for failure to maintain lane.
