Dashcam shows Fraser officer pulling woman from burning pickup truck
By: Harrowing video taken from a Fraser police cruiser caught the moment when an officer pulled a woman from a burning pickup truck.
Pulling up in Macomb County late Saturday night, Officer Cameron Rieper can be seen sprinting from his vehicle to the truck, which was stuck in the median of Hayes Street.
"There were flames in like the bed area of the truck and then the engine compartment was just starting to catch on fire," he said.
Rieper was the first officer on scene - and is largely the reason the driver survived the ordeal.
Dashcam footage shows him reaching into the driver's seat and pulling the individual. At first, the woman wouldn't budge, choosing instead to grab the steering wheel.
"She appeared confused, wasn’t really answering questions. She was still inside the vehicle, so I opened the door, took her safety belt off and tried to get her out of the car," said Rieper.
Rieper wasn't just the first officer on scene. He used to be a firefighter and when he came upon the blaze, his instincts kicked in and her safety became his top priority.
"She was an elderly female. It’s not really unknown if she had a medical issue or what exactly happened before the original crash," he said.
The woman is now recovering at the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.