Heart-Pounding Video Shows Texas Officer Pull Suspected DUI Driver From Burning Car
Mesquite, Texas — A Texas police officer is being praised for his heroic actions after dramatic bodycam footage captured the moment he pulled a suspected drunk driver from her burning car seconds before it became fully engulfed in flames.
The harrowing rescue took place shortly after midnight on September 30, along Interstate 30 in Mesquite, a suburb east of Dallas. Officer Tyler Ingram of the Mesquite Police Department said the scene unfolded like something out of a movie.
“We answer a lot of action-packed calls here,” Ingram told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, “but this was more like a movie scene.”
Flames Closing In As Officer Rushes To Save Her
Bodycam video released by police shows Ingram sprinting toward a burning sedan on the side of the highway. Inside, a female driver can be heard screaming and crying in pain as smoke pours through the cabin.
Ingram repeatedly calls out to the woman, asking if she’s trapped. “Is your leg stuck?” he yells, to which she replies through sobs, “I’m just in pain!”
The officer struggles to open the driver’s side door as the fire spreads rapidly from the hood to the passenger area. “The flames were starting to crawl from the front to the passenger compartment,” he later recalled.
Moments later, Ingram manages to force the door open, grabbing the woman by the arms and dragging her away from the flames as another officer arrives to assist.
Seconds after the rescue, the vehicle exploded into a fireball, engulfed completely in orange flames.
Heart-pounding video shows cop pull suspected DUI driver from her burning car https://t.co/3P5FFX4sRN pic.twitter.com/nA3LXwsHnY
— New York Post (@nypost) October 17, 2025
“I Just Bent It Open A Little More”
Ingram said the car’s door handle was twisted from the crash, forcing him to use brute strength to pry it open. “It took me a minute to find the door handle. It was bent, so I just bent it open a little bit more and was able to pull her out,” he said.
Once at a safe distance, Ingram applied a tourniquet to a wound on the woman’s leg to stop the bleeding. Photos released by the department show the officer crouched beside her as flames consume the vehicle behind them.
The woman, who suffered a leg injury, was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Driver Charged With DUI
Authorities later confirmed the driver was charged with driving while intoxicated. Investigators believe alcohol played a role in the crash, which occurred when she lost control of the vehicle and struck a barrier.
The Mesquite Police Department issued a statement praising Officer Ingram’s bravery and warning drivers about the dangers of impaired driving.
“Drinking and driving do not mix,” the department wrote. “One decision can lead to tragedy in seconds. We’re thankful no one else was hurt in this crash and urge everyone to make the right choice — plan a ride, call a friend, or use a rideshare.”
Social Media Reaction And Department Praise
After the video was released, social media users flooded the department’s page with messages of praise, calling Officer Ingram a hero. “That man’s quick thinking and courage saved her life,” one commenter wrote. “Not everyone would’ve run toward that fire.”
Mesquite Police Chief David Gill also commended Ingram’s actions, saying the department was “proud of his bravery, professionalism, and calm under extreme pressure.”
The dramatic footage now serves as both a powerful warning against drunk driving and a reminder of the split-second decisions law enforcement officers face every day.
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