The Colony police officer recalls life-saving moment he pulled man from burning car

THE COLONY, Texas - A police officer in The Colony is being credited with saving a man trapped in a burning car.

Officer Edwardo Hernandez has only been on the job at The Colony Police Department for 19 months, but his eight and a half year career in law enforcement prepared him for the moment.

Body camera video shows Hernandez breaking open a window and dragging a driver out of the burning vehicle.

"I can’t lose the guy. Let the guy die on me. I wasn’t going to allow that to happen," he said.

The Colony police say a speeding Tesla lost control and went airborne at the intersection of 121 and South Colony Boulevard.

A fire started as the Tesla was wedged in between two concrete barriers.

Officer Hernandez's first instinct was to grab his fire extinguisher, but the flames wouldn't go out.

Hernandez grabbed his breaching tool and started to swing at the driver-side window.

"Stand back, I'm breaking your window," Hernandez can be heard saying in the video.

Officer Hernandez was able to cut the air bag and get the driver to safety.

"Your car is on fire, man. Get out. Get out of the car," Hernandez can be heard saying.

The reaction could have been life-saving.

"Truly making that life and death difference within the span of a minute," said Hernandez.

Officer Hernandez went to the hospital that night to get checked out, but was back on the job to finish his shift a few hours later.

The driver was in and out of consciousness and was also taken to the hospital. He was eventually released.

The Colony Police Department began equipping officers with that breaching tool following the mass shooting in Uvalde.

The tool allows officers to breach doors and windows, whether that's to enter a building or a vehicle.