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Driver rescued from fire then charged with DWI
Mesquite Police Officer Tyler Ingram is being hailed as a hero for rescuing 21-year-old Jacqueline Tenorio from her burning vehicle following a fiery crash on I-30, for which she was subsequently charged with DWI.
MESQUITE, Texas - A Mesquite police officer rescued a driver from her burning vehicle just in time.
The driver is now charged with DWI, but this fiery crash could have killed her had it not been for an officer who was nearby.
Mesquite Officer's Life-Saving Rescue
Local perspective:
We’ll never know what would have happened had Mesquite police officer Tyler Ingram not been nearby when 21-year-old Jacqueline Tenorio reportedly slammed her car into a concrete barrier, bursting into flames.
Officer Ingram was worried he might not get her free in time.
Tyler Ingram
"I think she possibly would’ve died and at some point, when she wasn’t coming free, I thought I might have to watch this girl burn. So, I don’t know honestly," said Ingram. "Then I pulled as hard as I could, and she came free."
Driver Trapped as Car Erupts in Flames
Ingram was patrolling on Tuesday, September 30, just after midnight. Dash-camera footage shows the car bursting into flames on I-30.
"And when I looked over, the car was airborne," he said. "It was one of the crazier ones I’ve seen."
Officer Ingram drove to the crash and found someone still inside the car.
"She was kind of out of it asking what my name was, and wasn’t really trying to get free," said the officer.
The driver was stuck inside the car, as the rescue took about 30 seconds, nearly all the time they had before flames from the back of the car spread to the front.
"I think any officer here would do the same."
Charged with DWI After Crash
What they're saying:
21-year-old Jacqueline Tenorio was taken to a hospital for a severe laceration to her leg and other injuries, before ultimately being charged with driving while intoxicated.
Ingram patrols in the evenings when it’s most common to see intoxicated drivers. His hope is that this fiery footage serves as a lesson.
"Hopefully it’s a wake-up call to her, which I’m sure it is, and hopefully other people will see the footage and realize that it’s real. It can happen to anyone, anytime."
What's next:
Mesquite Police Department says this was Tenorio’s first DWI offense.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from an interview conducted by FOX 4/s David Sentendrey. Additional information was provided by Mesquite Police Department.