A Las Vegas police officer and a good samaritan rescued an allegedly intoxicated driver from a crashed car just before it went up in flames on Friday.
The brave rescue unfolded “near Las Vegas Boulevard and Siegfried and Roy Drive,” just after 4:30 p.m. Friday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) wrote in a Facebook post.
In a compelling video capturing the heroic rescue, smoke can be seen wafting off of the car’s engine as LVMPD Convention Center Area Command Officer Derek Stebbins and a good samaritan named Justin Mouser spring into action to save the motorist.
Stebbins approached the car and immediately recognized the danger the driver was in.
“I could still see smoke. I didn’t see any flames at the time, but I did see a lot of smoke at the time coming from ‘neath the car. He’s unconscious, he’s not moving,” the officer said in a video released Monday night.
Mouser, who hails from Kentucky, was taking his first trip to Las Vegas with his wife when the incident occurred, Fox 5 reported. He recalled that Stebbins wanted the crowd to stay away from the burning vehicle.
“I don’t hear very well or sometimes act like I don’t,” Mouser said. “I probably should have listened to him, but I tried to help.”
Stebbins explained that his “instincts kicked in” as he leapt into action and yanked the driver from the vehicle with Mouser. Just as they freed him from the driver’s seat, flames began to engulf the car.
Stebbins, who received treatment for smoke inhalation at a local hospital after the incident, indicated that driving conditions were ideal, stating it was a “clear day, roads were dry and everything, sunny.”
Citing court records, Fox5 noted that the alleged driver “is facing DUI, failure to maintain lane and proof of insurance charges, according to court records.”
Stebbins indicated that Mouser left the scene before he had the chance to thank him for his help.
“He did walk off. By the time we had drug [the driver] away from the vehicle, I did not notice where he went from there. I would say ‘thank you.’ He’s just as much of a hero as I am for just wanting to stick around and help get that gentleman out of the car.”