A vacationing Coconut Creek Police officer pulled a trapped woman from an overturned SUV while in New York visiting his family, authorities said Monday.
Officer Ethan Rodriguez and his father were traveling in a vehicle outside of New York City when they came upon the scene of a traffic accident.
A dark-colored SUV had flipped onto its side with several people trapped inside. Civilians had gathered around the vehicle uncertain of how to help, and first-responders were not yet on scene.
Jumping out of the passenger seat, Rodriguez said he rushed toward the scene as his training “automatically” kicked in.
Footage of the rescue was posted on Coconut Creek Police’s social media accounts Monday.
“I remember leaving New York City with my family and heading back to the house,” said Rodriguez, who hails from upstate New York. “I told my dad to slow down, and I hopped out of the passenger seat of the vehicle. There was a woman still inside, pretty scared, and she needed help.”
Rodriguez scaled the SUV and reached in through an open passenger-side door, pulling the woman to safety. Other occupants were also inside the vehicle, “but I was able to at least pull her out” before rescuers arrived.
“Most civilians don’t know what to do in these situations. That’s why we’re specifically trained to do it,” Rodriguez said. “Being at that right place at the right time, I believe I was there for a reason.”
Additional details about the incident, including the date and location of Rodriguez’s rescue, were unavailable Tuesday.
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