A Seminole County Sheriff’s deputy who was pulled from a burning vehicle by a passing Orlando Fire Department lieutenant was seriously injured after his car left a roadway, crashed into a bridge, and became engulfed in flames.
The accident took place near the intersection of S. Orange Boulevard and Wayside Drive in Sanford on Saturday, March 25, at around 10:30 a.m.
According to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol, a 33-year-old deputy from DeLand was traveling northbound on S. Orange Boulevard, just south of Wayside Drive, when his vehicle crossed the center line and traveled onto the southbound paved shoulder, where it struck a bridge abutment.
Orlando Firefighter Lieutenant Ben Wootson, who witnessed the crash while he was driving along the road with his son, noticed that the vehicle immediately caught fire. Wootson stopped at the scene and pulled the deputy from the car before it became engulfed in flames just seconds later.
The roadway was closed for several hours while authorities investigated the cause of the accident. However, it has still not been determined why the vehicle left the roadway.
The deputy was transported to the Central Florida Hospital and was in stable condition as of Saturday evening.