GERMANTOWN, Wis. (WFRV) – First responders and bystanders are being credited with saving a man’s life Tuesday morning after pulling him from a burning vehicle following a crash on Interstate 41.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred shortly after 8 a.m. on I-41 North just north of County Line Road in the Village of Germantown.
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When officers arrived, they found the vehicle’s engine fully engulfed in flames with a person still inside.
Authorities said a seven-year veteran deputy handed a fire extinguisher to an off-duty firefighter who had stopped to help, while the deputy and a Germantown Police Department officer worked together to reach the trapped driver.
The 40-year-old Wauwatosa man’s foot was reportedly pinned under the door, preventing him from escaping. The deputy was able to free the man’s foot, allowing the officer to pull him from the vehicle moments before the fire intensified.
“This incident is a powerful reminder that public safety doesn’t work in silos,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “It works through partnership.”
Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis praised the coordinated effort.
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“In moments like this, titles and uniforms matter less than courage and teamwork,” Schulteis said. “When police officers, deputies, citizens and firefighters come together under stress with one mission — to save a life — extraordinary things happen.”
The crash remains under investigation.
