Texas Tow Truck Driver Saves Deputy From Fiery Crash: Police

PASADENA, TX — A tow truck driver passing by a fiery crash on Beltway 8 in Pasadena, Texas, early Tuesday is a local hero after he pulled a Harris County constable's deputy from the wreckage, likely saving her life, according to the Harris County Precinct 8 Constable's Office.

Deputy K. LeMelle was parked and monitoring traffic on the shoulder of northbound Beltway 8 near San Augustine Avenue just after 2 a.m. when a large truck struck her patrol vehicle. The patrol vehicle, which was an SUV, hit the wall and was engulfed in flames, according to authorities.

The tow truck driver, Richard Borgstrom, pulled over after seeing the crash and saw LeMelle was trapped in the SUV. He broke the driver's side window and pulled LeMelle from the wreck before the flames reached the driver's cabin, police said.

LeMelle, who has been a deputy for three years, was taken to Southeast Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released. She is now resting at home. The driver and passenger of the truck both sustained minor injuries.

When Borgstrom first approached LeMelle, he tried to break the window with his fist before retrieving a trailer hitch and using it to smash the glass, he told ABC 13.

"I would like to extend my thanks to Mr. Borgstrom, who without regard for his own safety, did not hesitate to act in this situation," Precinct 8 Constable Phil Sandlin said in a statement. "This is yet another example of a tow truck operator who stepped up to render assistance to one of my deputies when needed and for that, I am grateful."

Authorities are investigating the crash, according to Sandlin.