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Atlanta police say an officer is in critical condition after crashing into a home while rushing to help another officer during a struggle late Monday night.
Atlanta police officer crashes into home
According to the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, rescue crews arrived at the intersection of North Avenue NW and English Avenue NW to a house on fire.
Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. said the crash happened around 8:15 p.m. as the responding officer was driving to assist that first officer, who was physically engaged with a perpetrator, when he crashed into the house. The officer lost control and struck a house at the intersection of James P. Brawley Drive and North Avenue, setting both the vehicle and the home on fire.
Atlanta Fire Department Captain Andrew Anderson said crews arrived to find both a working structure fire and the vehicle crash behind the home. Firefighters simultaneously extinguished the blaze and treated the injured officer.
“The home was occupied by one individual,” Hampton said. “That individual was able to get out safely and three other individuals helped to extinguish the fire and pull an officer out for safety.”
An officer at the scene was found to be injured in a crash and was conscious, alert and breathing following the collision.
Fire officials said flames were contained within five to eight minutes and damage inside the house was limited.
The officer was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and is currently in critical condition.
The initial officer involved in the original altercation was not injured, and the suspect in that case was taken into custody.
English Avenue resident rescues officer
“I heard a loud crash, so I came running down the street,” said resident David Pitts. “When I got to the scene, I seen the officer’s car in the back of the house. And it was on fire.”
Pitts said flames were already coming from the hood and gasoline was leaking when he saw the officer still inside and unresponsive. He said he tried to open the door but it was locked — so he smashed the window with a brick.
“I bust the glass out next to the side mirror so I wouldn’t hit him. And then I stuck my hand inside and opened the driver’s side door from the inside,” Pitts said. “When I opened it, he fell out into my arms.”
Pitts said another man helped drag the injured officer to safety just as ammunition began exploding inside the burning cruiser.
“The whole driver’s side caught on fire, and we had to pull them back even more because the car started exploding,” he said.
Pitts said he had no time to be scared.
“My first action was to spy on a way to save him… I couldn’t just stand there and watch the man die.”
He said the officer appeared incoherent and in significant pain until a woman who identified herself as being in the nursing field arrived and began talking to him to keep him awake.
Pitts called it surreal and said he was just thankful he was nearby.
“For me to receive blessings, I’ve got to give a blessing,” he said. “So I’m just glad that he put me there at the right time.”
Hampton said the citizens’ actions may have saved his life.
“If that’s accurate, we are extremely grateful for those citizens to assist the officer, putting themselves also in harm’s way,” he said.
APD officer’s name not released
Authorities have not said what caused the officer to lose control or whether his patrol car struck anything before hitting the house.
They have not confirmed whether any body camera or dash camera footage exists, or whether the vehicle was running with lights and sirens at the time.
APD said the officer’s name will not be released until his family is notified, possibly as early as Tuesday morning.
