Dallas County deputy saves man in fiery crash

DALLAS - A Dallas County sheriff’s deputy risked his own life to save a man trapped inside a burning car Friday morning.

The fiery crash happened around 5:30 a.m. on Interstate 30 near Hampton Road. A speeding Toyota Scion clipped another vehicle, hit the wall of the highway and rolled four times, finally landing on its side in the HOV lane.

The SUV burst into flames with the driver trapped inside. Fortunately, Deputy Paul Lee was in the right place at the right time.

Deputy Lee said he heard a call about the accident come over the scanner and looked up to see flames about a mile away. He drove up as close as he could, jumped out of his patrol car and ran across I-30. To his horror, he saw the driver trapped inside.

The deputy said he went back to his patrol car for a fire extinguisher and tried to put the fire out. He was able to calm the man down and move him to the back of the vehicle.

By then Dallas firefighters were arriving and scene and helped pull the man to safety.

“Myself? I’m second. Whoever is in this car is first to me. That’s the way we’re trained, you know? You go to danger, take care of it,” Lee said.

The driver was taken to Parkland hospital in serious condition.

Coincidentally, this happened on Deputy Lee’s birthday. He said helping to save the man’s life is the best gift you could get.