LEWISTON, N.Y. — A Lewiston Police officer, New York State Trooper, and truck driver are being credited with saving the life of another officer after he was involved in an on duty vehicle accident.
Lewiston Police say it occurred on Military Road at the exit ramp from the I-190 north around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The Town of Lewiston police officer now identified as two-year veteran Joshua Belin was injured in the very serious collision between his police cruiser and a tractor trailer
The truck driver is now identified as Paul Fisher of Vargo Trucking, and police say he actually used his truck's fire extinguisher to knock down the flames in the cruiser to help protect the officer.
Lewiston Police Chief Frank Previte says Officer Belin was inside until he could be rescued by his law enforcement colleagues.
"He was unconscious and pinned in the vehicle and they were able to extricate him and remove him from the vehicle," Previte said. "It was pretty much fully involved in the engine compartment, and there was quite a bit of damage even to the interior of the vehicle."
Previte said even before responding police arrived, the truck driver took action.
"He felt the impact," Previte said. "He exited the vehicle. He saw the fire, and he grabbed his fire extinguishing materials from his tractor trailer, and hit the fire and knocked it down before the officers were there. Had he not done that, it would have had that much more of a start."
Lewiston Officer Cody Buyere (who also works the midnight shift) and State Trooper Adam Moen used crow bars to pry open the police cruiser's jammed door to get to the trapped officer despite the intense flames.
Chief Previte noted: "You can feel the heat ... usually singeing the hair on your body, and you're attempting to save somebody and get them out of that where most people would be running the other direction. So I'm very proud of the officers, but if you ask them, they'll tell you, 'I was doing what I was trained to do,' or, 'Just doing my job.' "
There is more to this story. Officer Belin, who was rescued this morning, was first on scene as a house on Saunders Settlement Road was fully involved in flames back on Dec. 8. The person inside tragically died, but Previte says it was a valiant rescue effort back then by that same officer.
"Attempting to rescue somebody out of a burning building where he had smoke inhalation and he received second degree burns. He had to go be treated at the hospital and he's getting an award for that and now he finds himself in a situation where he's got people coming to rescue him," Previte said.
Officer Belin was treated for his injuries and later released from ECMC.
There is a full accident investigation with assistance by the Niagara County Sheriff's Office and a separate departmental investigation to determine the exact circumstances as the police SUV hit the back of the truck.
Previte said they have not found anything wrong so far in the actions of the truck driver.