Warning: Video contains graphic content
A 66-year-old man was rescued from a burning car after his vehicle crashed and overturned in Brea early Sunday morning, police said.
Officers responded to the scene of the crash near the intersection of Lambert Road and Sunflower Street just after 12 a.m., police said. The man, a Yorba Linda resident, was driving east on Lambert Road when his vehicle veered off the road, hit a tree and overturned, according to a Brea Police Department news release.
When officers arrived, they found the man trapped in his burning vehicle, officials said. They used fire extinguishers in an attempt to put the fire out, but were initially unsuccessful.
Flames and smoke were coming from the vehicle as officers attempted to pull the man out, video released by police showed. The fire kept burning as officers finally managed to free him.
Brea Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene and assisted in extinguishing the fire.
The man was taken to a local hospital and treated for burns and “moderate” injuries, police said in a news release. Five officers sustained “minor” burns and cuts in efforts to remove the driver from the vehicle, the news release said.
Officials do not suspect drug or alcohol to have been involved in the crash. Investigators believe the man may have fallen asleep, officials said.
