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Ohio officer burned pulling man from fiery fatal crash

The officer, who was pursuing a speeding vehicle, pulled an injured man from the burning vehicle after it crashed and the driver fled on foot

Associated Press

WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio — A police pursuit along Ohio highways ended in a fiery crash that killed the fleeing driver’s passenger, who was pulled from the burning vehicle by an officer who was injured during the rescue attempt, authorities said.

The Saturday night pursuit began when the Willoughby Hills officer saw the car going 117 mph in a 60-mph zone on Interstate 90 eastbound, authorities said.

The officer, whose name was not released, tried to catch up to the speeding car, which merged onto Interstate 271 southbound. As the officer turned on his emergency overhead lights, the car sped across traffic and tried to exit the freeway on to a local road in Highland Heights, authorities said.

The car’s driver lost control at the exit and struck a traffic signal control box, and the vehicle burst into flames. The injured driver fled on foot, and the pursuing officer approached the vehicle and spotted a passenger on fire.

The officer suffered burns to his hand as he pulled the man from the burning car, authorities said. The man was taken to a hospital and then flown to another medical facility where he was pronounced dead.

Hours after the crash, the car’s driver — identified only as a Richmond Heights man — was dropped off at a hospital, where he was being treated for undisclosed injuries.

The crash remains under investigation, and it’s not clear what charges the driver might face.

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