Arlington Officer Helps Rescue 4 People From Burning Van
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - An officer went beyond the call of duty when he helped rescue four people from a burning van early Friday morning, the Arlington police chief said.
Police said a van with construction workers had crashed on I-30 at MacArthur in Grand Prairie and caught fire, injuring four people who were inside the van. They were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police Chief Will Johnson said Arlington Sgt. Chitty was on his way to work in his personal car when he saw the flames engulfing the vehicle. The officer then got out and went to help the occupants to safety.
"He did what @ArlingtonPD officers do," Johnson said.
According to police, a suspect had caused the van to roll over and drove off from the scene. Sgt. Chitty saw this happen and decided to help the workers rather than chase the suspect.
The victims' ages range from 17 to 19, police said.
Police said responding Grand Prairie officers chased the suspect and eventually arrested him. The suspect was identified as Jesus Gutierrez, and he was charged with failure to stop and render aid along with a charge for a controlled substance as narcotics were found on him.