SAN DIEGO -- A San Diego police officer was recovering from smoke inhalation Wedneday after he smashed a window and rescued an unconscious young motorist from his burning sedan following an accident in Clairemont Mesa, police said.
Officer Diosino Medina was passing by in his patrol car and witnessed the accident at Balboa Avenue and Clairemont Drive shortly before 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
The 20-year-old man's stalled Chevrolet Impala was rear-ended on eastbound Clairemont Drive by sport utility vehicle driven by a 41-year-old man, Delimitros said. The Impala burst into flames on impact.
Other officers said they were riveted as Medina described the emergency over his police radio.
"We all heard it come out on the air, and it was clear right from the beginning that he was dealing with a very serious accident and he actually witnessed it, which normally we're responding after the fact and we kind of know what we're coming up onto," Sgt Vanessa Holland told Fox 5. "So as he put the information out, we knew it was a serious accident and we know there was somebody trapped in the car and no one could get to him."
Medina smashed a window on the burning Impala and pulled out the driver, Holland said.
"When he got out on the air that he got the guy out of the car and the vehicle was fully engulfed we were, of course, all very relieved," Holland said.
Both motorists were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, he said.
The Medina suffered from smoke inhalation.
"He was transported to the hospital last night. He had some problems breathing from all the bad smoke and fumes that were in the car as it burned," Holland said.
Medina as released from the hospital Tuesday night and was doing fine, she added.
