Video shows 5 Brea officers rescue man from burning car

BREA, Calif. (KABC) -- A Brea police officer's dashcam captured dramatic footage of him and four others pulling a man from a burning vehicle.

The scene unfolded just after midnight near Lambert Road and Sunflower Street. The 66-year-old victim told investigators he fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed his car into a tree.

The vehicle then overturned and burst into flames. That's when five Brea officers jumped into action.

"Thankfully, the officers got there very quickly. At one point, we had five officers there with fire extinguishers trying to put the fire out," Lt. Darrin Deverux said.

But the flames were too intense and roared back to life. As firefighters rushed to put out the blaze, the officers worked together to free the man from his crumpled vehicle.

They finally pulled him from the wreckage as the fire continued to burn.

"This could have been much worse. Thankfully, the officers were in the area. There were some citizens nearby that also helped with some fire extinguishers. So thankfully they were able to get this gentleman out before he obviously succumbed to his injuries," Deverux said.

The victim was rushed to the hospital to be treated for burns and other moderate injuries. The officers also sustained some minor burns and cuts during the rescue.

But those heroes were simply doing everything they could to save a life.