Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Southlake Officer Pulls Driver From Burning Car During Traffic Stop

Department-released dash and body camera footage shows the officer forcing a window to extract the trapped driver seconds before the vehicle became engulfed in flames.

Overview

  • A Southlake police corporal who was conducting a routine speeding stop noticed a smoking Nissan on Highway 114, ran to the vehicle and pulled the stunned driver to safety as flames erupted.
  • Bodycam and dashcam footage shows the officer trying the door handle, which detached, then putting on a glove, breaking the passenger window with a tool and reaching in to extract the man.
  • The department said the driver suffered no serious injuries and the officer sustained only minor burns and singed hair, while the burning car was lost to flames.
  • Southlake Police released the footage publicly and honored Corporal Joshua Swisher with a Meritorious Conduct award, and the originally stopped Mercedes driver received a warning and was returned to a nearby hospital.
  • The clip has drawn wide media attention for showing how on-scene cameras document split-second police actions and for illustrating how quick improvisation by officers can prevent loss of life; no follow-up investigations or contradictory claims have been reported.