EAST KINGSTON, N.H. (WHDH) - Both an off-duty firefighter from East Kingston, New Hampshire, and another from Chelmsford, Mass., are being credited with pulling a woman from a burning car shortly before the vehicle exploded.
East Kingston Fire Chief Ed Warren said the incident happened Saturday afternoon and involved a Dodge Challenger that crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames sometime before 3:30 p.m.
According to a news release, moments before the crash, the Dodge nearly struck a vehicle belonging to off-duty East Kingston firefighter Robert Bishop, who was driving home when he was nearly hit head-on.
The fire chief said Bishop snapped into action after witnessing the car crash and immediately left his vehicle to assist the driver.
While doing so, Warren said another off-duty firefighter passing by, Josh Abbott of Chelmsford FD, jumped in to assist.
Together, the two freed the driver as the car filled with smoke, and were able to remove her before the Dodge “exploded and became fully engulfed.”
“Instantly, the vehicle was on fire – fully-involved,” Robert Bishop said at a news conference held Tuesday morning. “The vehicle was on fire – we grabbed her and moved to a safe place.”
“Between the two of us, we just looked at it, looked at each other, and said ‘what do you think? You think we can do this?'” Abbott explained. “I was like ‘Yeah, I think we can,’ [Bishop was like] ‘Yeah, I think we can, too.'”
“The heroic actions by Firefighters Bishop and Abbott no doubt saved this person’s life,” Chief Warren said in a statement. “This incident showcases the commitment all firefighters and first responders make to come to the aid of those in need, no matter what, and I want to thank them both for their quick and selfless actions.”
Authorities say the woman who was driving the vehicle was taken to a local hospital to be treated for serious injuries and was in stable condition.
“We knew we just had to move fast, grabbed her under the arms, Josh grabbed her by the legs, and we just ran up the street as fast as we could to get out of that situation,” Bishop said.
“These guys truly risked a lot to save a lot,” Chief Warren said at the conference. “It’s what we do. Our motto is ‘Every firefighter goes home safe.’ These guys risked it all for somebody that they didn’t know.”
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, though officials noted that speed appeared to be a factor.
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