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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Two deputies with the Indian River County Sheriff's Office are being credited with pulling a woman from a car that was engulfed in flames. The whole incident was captured on a dashboard camera video recording.
The fire was the result of a crash that happened just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the intersection of Oslo Road and 66th Avenue. The woman was traveling south on 66th Avenue and turned out in front of a septic tanker truck, causing a collision between the two vehicles and a third refuse flatbed truck. The collision between the car and the septic truck immediately ignited into flames.
Indian River County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Sunkel was first on scene and quickly learned from witnesses that the woman was trapped in the car. The deputy broke a window of the car with his baton and opened the passenger side door trying to free the victim, but she was trapped. Deputy Linda Nolan arrived on scene and began using her fire extinguisher to reduce the flames. Eventually, the deputies were able to pull the woman out of the car.
"We are so proud of Deputies Sunkel and Nolan for their life-saving efforts earlier this morning. Video of the incident shows that, despite danger to themselves, they continued to work to save this woman from her burning car," said Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar.
Deputy Nolan sustained burns to her hand which were treated on scene and then at Indian River Medical Center. The woman pulled from the car was airlifted from the scene and remains in critical condition. The Florida Highway Patrol responded and is investigating the cause of the crash.