Quick-thinking deputy saves victim from burning vehicle

Quick action by a Union County deputy saved a victim from a burning vehicle

New Albany Fire Chief Mark Whiteside told NAMissNEWS that emergency responders were dispatched Sunday afternoon to a one-vehicle accident near Myrtle Baptist Church with unknown entrapment and vehicle on fire.

Fire units from Myrtle and New Albany Rescue responded.

While the fire units were en route, Whiteside said Union County Sheriff’s officers arrived on scene and found a vehicle on its side with one person still inside with fire and smoke coming from the vehicle.

With doors jammed, Deputy Chris Whiteside removed the person from the vehicle through the sunroof to safety.

Fire units arrived on scene, extinguished the fire and assisted EMS personnel from Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County. The patient was transported with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries.

Whiteside added that while en route back to the city, NAFD units came up on a one-vehicle wreck on Interstate 22 about the 61 mile marker west bound that had just occurred.

There was no entrapment and NAFD crews assisted BMH EMS personnel with the patient that was transported to the hospital.