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10 Nov, 2014 23:54

High school firefighter rescues cop from burning cruiser (VIDEO)

High school firefighter rescues cop from burning cruiser (VIDEO)

A teenage volunteer firefighter in Philadelphia dramatically rescued a city police officer from a cruiser just moments before it burst into flames. The cruiser was broadsided by a pickup truck when the officer was responding to a priority call.

The volunteer firefighter, 17-year-old Joe Chambers, was watching the TV show “Cops” on Saturday night when he heard the sound of a crash and went outside to investigate. What he saw was a banged-up police cruiser, and a delirious officer, Mark Kimsey, at the wheel, unable to move as the hood caught on fire.

"I saw that it was a cop car," Chambers told NBC Philadelphia. "Right then I just started sprinting and did what I had to do."

Chambers said the door was slammed and dented and wouldn’t open – the cruiser had been dented when it was struck by a pick-up truck.

READ MORE:Broke Detroit firefighters using empty cans for emergency alerts

With help from his neighbor, 24-year-old Dante Johnson, Chambers pulled the police officer through the window just as Kimsey was losing consciousness.

“On three, we just yanked. We basically ripped him out of the car,” Chambers told the New York Daily News. “He was just mumbling in pain. He couldn’t feel his leg. He was so in shock, he couldn’t move.”

That was just minutes before the car burst into flames and torched the seat where Kimsey had been sitting.

"The whole car just blew up," Chambers said to ABC News, noting that fire crews arrived shortly after. An online video shows the car consumed by fire.

"If we hadn't gotten him out in time, he would have been hurt bad,” said Chambers.

Chambers then tended to the unconscious driver in the pickup truck and helped him to safety. Officer Kimsey and the pickup truck passenger were both taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for treatment. Kimsey is in stable condition, having suffered trauma to his head from the airbag deployment and burns to his legs, police said. The 52-year-old driver of the pickup truck also suffered head trauma and is listed in stable condition, police added.

Very commendable efforts of Joe Chambers, a 17-year-old volunteer firefighter who rescued Philly P/O Kimsey. pic.twitter.com/b2FbcW2m0D

— Joe Serrano (@JSerrano275) November 9, 2014

READ MORE:WA firefighter saves baby hamsters with oxygen-mask, tiny breathing tube

Chambers has been a volunteer firefighter with the Leedom Fire Company for the past three years. He also suffered minor injuries and was taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Later Saturday night, he visited Officer Kimsey.

"It felt great just to see that he was OK,'' the Ridley High School senior told NBC. "He (Kimsey) said, `I can't thank you enough.' I was like, `You don't have to, it’s fine.' I would do it any day of the week if I had to.''

Screenshot from instargram video by bigrubeharley

READ MORE:Three 9/11 first responders died of cancer on the same day

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