Southfield Police, Fire Departments commend officer's heroism in fiery crash
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – The Southfield Police and Fire Departments are commending the actions of one officer who responded to the scene of a fiery car crash Saturday night.
According to Southfield police, the at-fault driver in a red Ford Edge was speeding west on Eight Mile Road around 11:30 p.m. As they approached Northland Drive, they blew through a red light and careened into a silver Ford Edge.
The violent impact caused both cars to catch fire.
Southfield police officer Patrick McCormick knew every second mattered Saturday night with a passenger trapped in the red Ford Edge.
"All I could think about doing was to try to get to him and to pull them out of the car as fast as I could so that I could give him some chance in life," McCormick said.
Body-worn cameras captured Officer McCormick breaking one of the windows to get to the victim, who was inches from the flames.
As the heat intensifies, McCormick pulls him out just as firefighters arrive.
A good Samaritan had already rescued the driver of the red Ford Edge.
"We had people out there trying to help us I had one particular person who actually went and ran and got a fire extinguisher from a gas station and was assisting me so I could actually get inside that vehicle to pull that individual out of the car," McCormick said.
While the driver survived, the passenger McCormick saved didn't make it and died at a hospital the next day.
"When I watch the video over again, it's like, what could I have done different? What could I have done faster? What can I prepare myself for next time when I come into an encounter with this type of situation?" McCormick said.
But everyone is praising Officer McCormick's act of heroism.
On Tuesday, Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren presented McCormick with a challenge coin.
"This officer, his training kicked in, and he showed a lot of bravery here," Barren said.
And for that, the Southfield Fire Department bestowed McCormick with the Chief's Award.
"I'm sure he didn't sign on to fight fires or to deal with fire incidents. But because of his actions that night, you gave this citizen a chance," Chief Johnny Menifee with the Southfield Fire Department during a news conference Tuesday morning.
The other bystanders who helped out in the situation will also be recognized at a future awards ceremony.
" I appreciate it. But at the end of the day, I just did what anyone else would have done," McCormick said.
The driver and passenger in the silver Ford Edge that also caught fire were taken out of the vehicle and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.