Officer pries door off burning car with bare hands

By REBECCA ANNA STOIL
A police officer and civil guard volunteer from the Lod police station were on their way to man a checkpoint in advance of Remembrance Day when they chanced upon a collision between two vehicles. They approached the first vehicle and started to examine the victims when they noticed that the second vehicle that had been involved in the accident had burst into flames with an injured man trapped in the front seat. The police officer and the volunteer tried to open the door to release the wounded man, but discovered that the door was locked - at which point, for lack of better equipment, they pulled the car door off with their bare hands freeing the trapped victim. The officer said that he didn't understand where he found the strength to pull the car door off and rescue the victim, who was suffering from shock as well as head and neck injuries. He was taken, in moderate condition, to nearby Asaf Harofeh Hospital. Two other victims were hospitalized in good condition.