CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -
Two Cleveland police officers hailed as heroes for rescuing a man from a burning vehicle.
Patrol Officers Bonnie Simmerly and Elaina Ciacchi were working the night shift in the Fifth District early Thursday morning when they received a call for a suspicious vehicle.
When they arrived on Haldale, they saw a vehicle in the middle of the street.
The officers approached the vehicle and saw a man sleeping inside.
They knocked on the window and woke the man up. He then put the car in gear and sped away.
The two officers found the vehicle a short time later.
The vehicle had driven off of the roadway and into a wooded area near Endora and Hillsboro.
The vehicle was on its side in the trees and the officers could see sparks and smoke coming from underneath the car and flames from the hood.
Officers quickly began to strike the vehicle's rear window with their batons in order to free the man inside.
Officers were able to get the man out of the car through a window and drag him to the roadway, safely away from the vehicle.
Cleveland Fire responded to extinguish the burning vehicle.
The Driver was transported to MetroHealth Medical Center by EMS for treatment. He was also cited for driving under suspension and failure to control.
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CPD Officers Bonnie Simmerly and Elaina Ciacchi
