Two officers in Worcester were able to remove a man from a burning vehicle moments before the entire car became engulfed in flames, authorities said.
Worcester Police officials said that an officer located a vehicle flipped on its roof and on fire around 1 a.m. Sunday near Southwest Common Plaza, where a 22-year-old male operating the car was found unresponsive.
A female officer said she got no response when she asked the operator to unbuckle himself. She was then able to open a side door to the vehicle, but due to the fire was unable to remove the man, authorities said.
A second officer arrived on scene and together, the officers successfully cut the seatbelt of the passenger and brought him to safety, officials say.
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The victim was rushed to an area hospital with what authorities said were serious injuries. No update has been given on his condition.
A preliminary investigation suggests that the car was speeding, with its lights off, when it traveled into the shoulder and struck a large boulder, police said, flipping several times before landing down the road.
The investigation into the crash continues. The Worcester Fire Department arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire and a crash reconstruction team was activated, officials said.
