A New Jersey State Police trooper rescued a couple from a burning vehicle while driving to work Monday morning.
Sgt. James Mitchell was driving eastbound in the area of milepost 6.9 on the Atlantic City Expressway around 7:44 a.m. when he saw a Nissan Pathfinder strike a concrete barrier in the center median, according to a news release.
The trooper slowed his patrol car and activated his emergency lights to stop traffic in the left lane. As he approached the scene, the SUV was fully engulfed in flames and filled with smoke.
Mitchell helped the driver remove the belt and exit the burning vehicle and bring him to safety when he was alerted that the man's wife was still inside. After returning to the car, he saw the passenger struggling to get out.
In his first rescue attempt, Mitchell was unable to get the woman out, because her feet were caught under the dashboard. He then grabbed the woman from underneath her arms and forcibly pulled her through the window and and carried her away from the flames.
The driver was uninjured while the passenger was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Mainland Campus with non-life-threatening injuries.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
