New Jersey State Troopers Pull Driver From Truck Seconds Before It Explodes

Two New Jersey police officers have been praised for their swift intervention on March 2 when they pulled a man out of a burning truck in Bridgewater Township seconds before it exploded.

New Jersey State Police said Trooper Robert Tarleton was speaking to a driver during a traffic stop on the I-287 when a nearby tractor-trailer ran off the right side of the road, striking the guardrail and bridge abutment before becoming engulfed in flames.

Tarleton’s bodycam shows him return the driver’s ID and run back to his patrol car to request fire and emergency backup.

As Tarleton drove to the truck, State Police Lieut Edward Ryer, who was on his way home from work when he witnessed the crash, was out of his vehicle attempting to rescue the driver from the cab.

Tarleton and Ryer then worked together to pull the driver from the burning cab, dragging him to safety, seconds before it exploded.

The driver sustained minor injuries, police said, and was taken to Morristown Medical Center. Police said the cause of the crash was being investigated. Credit: New Jersey State Police via Storyful