Oakland County Deputy Rescues Teen Driver From Burning Car After Crash [VIDEO]

ORION TWP. (WWJ) - An 18-year-old Oakland County man was injured but survived a fiery crash with the help of a fast acting sheriff's deputy.

According the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, young driver sped by a deputy on patrol along  Baldwin Road near Brown Road in Orion Township at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

The deputy activated his emergency lights and sirens, officials said, but before the deputy could catch up with the driver, who turned left onto Maybee Road, the driver lost control of his car which went off the road into a wooded area, then flipping on its side.

The car caught fire but the deputy acted quickly, breaking through the sunroof and pulling the driver, identified as an Orion Township resident, from the burning vehicle. As seen on a dash cam video, additional deputies then arrived and helped move the injured driver to safety.

During the investigation that followed, deputies said they smelled marijuana and alcohol on the driver, who was taken by EMS to a local hospital for treatment of a broken femur and some lacerations.

Believing that the driver was under the influence of intoxicants, deputies obtained a search warrant a blood sample. The young man was arrested but released pending results of a blood test and expected charges.

"This is a reminder of the types of incidents our deputies can encounter each and every day," said Sheriff Mike Bouchard, in a statement. "While our deputy had been in pursuit of this speeding suspect, it was their first instinct to risk their own lives to save this individual from a burning vehicle. If not for the quick action of our deputies, this individual may have not survived this incident."

The Orion Township Fire Department responded to the scene of the crash to extinguish the fire, and the vehicle (seen in photos above) was impounded and towed to a secure area for further examination.

An investigation is ongoing.