CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Canton Township police officers are being hailed as heroes after a dramatic rescue early on July 5 following a wrong-way crash on Michigan Avenue.
The incident occurred just after 2 a.m., officers responded to a fiery collision near Lilley Road involving two heavily damaged vehicles engulfed in flames.
Dashcam footage shows a passenger escaping from one SUV, but the situation was more dire in the other car.
Good Samaritans pulled a young child from the backseat as officers rushed toward the burning vehicle.
An officer broke a window and found the driver, a woman, pinned inside as the fire continued to burn.
“Our officers decided the only thing they could do was keep the flames away from the vehicle while she was trapped until the fire department arrived,” said Canton Deputy Chief Ed Johnson.
The fire was so intense that officers had to use seven fire extinguishers from their patrol cars to control the flames.
When those ran out, one officer ran to a nearby semi-truck stopped at the crash scene to get another extinguisher.
“They were heroes. They stood right in the face of danger, inhaling smoke, doing everything they could to render aid to the female trapped inside,” Johnson said.
Firefighters eventually arrived and used foam to fully extinguish the fire before extricating the woman.
Police believe alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. The driver faces a long road to recovery but is lucky to be alive.
The child was uninjured, and occupants of the other vehicle were taken to the hospital for treatment.
One officer was hurt inhaling smoke, and another cut her hand. Both have since returned to duty.