Two cops in Austin are being applauded for saving a man's life before a fire completely engulfed him and his truck.
Several people called 911 on Monday afternoon after a truck caught on fire at an apartment complex in South Austin. The driver had a medical emergency as he backed his truck into a parking space.
The man put the truck in park but was unable to take his foot off the gas pedal before falling unconscious. The truck tires continued to spin in place, which sparked the fire, KXAN reported.
Officers Chandler Carrera and Eddie Pineda arrived at the scene before firefighters did. Pineda smashed one of the truck's windows to find the driver slumped in his seat and passed out.
Both reached inside the burning truck and were able to pull the man across the parking lot and to safety.
There was a loud burst just seconds later.
"I was just chilling inside and I heard a loud bang, kind of like when the (trash truck) comes and slams the dumpster onto the ground when they're done emptying it or a transformer (exploding)," Tony Farmer told the Austin American Statesman. Farmer lives in a condo next to the apartment complex and saw the man get pulled from the truck.
Flames consumed the truck, which was a complete loss when the fire was finally put out.
Authorities didn't identify the man in the truck, but he was taken to a nearby hospital for serious smoke inhalation injuries.
Photo: Austin Police Department