Man Rescued From Burning Car By Ridgefield Park Police

RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ — Battling extreme heat and broken glass, a group of three Ridgefield Park police officers were able to pull to safety a driver, who was stuck inside a burning vehicle on Saturday at 67 Winant Avenue, Ridgefield Park Police Chief Joseph Rella said in a news release.

Due to an electrical issue with his Honda vehicle, the driver, of Fort Lee, was trapped inside, as flames entered the interior cabin. A first-arriving officer, unable to open the car doors, tried to force entry using a Halligan bar, and the other officers tried to remove the man from the driver's side of the vehicle. But they were unable due to the heat, Rella said.

The officers then doused the flames with fire extinguishers, which gave them enough time to grab hold of the man from the passenger side, move him a safe distance away from the car, and administer first aid. The man was eventually released to a family member on scene, Rella said.

Rella, in the news release, also thanked "Good Samaritan" Elias Rodriguez, of New York, who helped the officers in the rescue effort.