Clarksville Officer Saves Injured Driver from Burning Truck

After a fiery crash on Interstate 65 left a burning pickup truck overturned and engulfed in flames, Sgt. Ryan Roederer of the Clarksville Police Department rushed into action. What followed was a life-saving effort caught entirely on police bodycam rescue footage and a powerful reminder of the courage that defines the uniform.

The scene, as Sgt. Roederer arrived, resembled the aftermath of an explosion. With only a small extinguisher handed to him by a bystander, he tried to fight back the blaze as smoke poured from the vehicle.

“I used all of [the extinguisher]. It kind of maybe slowed the fire down from spreading to the cab,” Roederer said. “But I wasn’t putting a hurt on the fire at all.”

Inside the truck, the driver had been thrown across the cab and was pinned near the passenger door. Dazed and injured, he struggled to move.

“Sir, Can You Hear Me?”

“Sir, can you hear me? Can you crawl out this way?” Roederer called through the smoke.

As flames intensified, an Indiana State Trooper arrived and tried breaking the truck’s windshield to reach the driver. He passed Roederer a larger extinguisher, but even that couldn’t hold back the fire.

“Can you get out through the back? Come on, sir, come on,” Roederer urged.

Eventually, the man inched closer. The officers reached into the burning truck, grabbed hold, and pulled him out, just in time.

“Once I got a hold of him, though, there was nothing that was going to stop me from getting him out of there,” Roederer said.

The injured driver was loaded into an ambulance immediately and taken to the University of Louisville Hospital. He is expected to survive.

A Quiet Hero, Without Closure

Despite saving his life, Roederer never spoke with the man he rescued.

“I don’t know if he was in shock. As soon as we got him out, he went straight to the ambulance,” he said. “I never talked to him once.”

Still, the sergeant reflects on the moment with humility.

“If he wanted to see me, I would shake his hand,” he added.

Why These Stories Matter

This fire rescue story shows what it truly means to serve: not just quick reflexes, but police bravery, instinct, and an unwavering will to protect. The Clarksville City Police Department may not always make headlines, but moments like these remind us that police officers are heroes, not because they seek recognition, but because they act when it matters most.

At We Love Police, we’re committed to sharing more inspirational police stories like this, moments of quiet resolve and public service that define what happens behind the badge.

If you’d like to receive first updates on new stories, subscribe to our weekly newsletter. You can also explore more acts of heroism from officers across the country.

References

• News and Image Source - Clarksville officer hailed a hero for pulling injured driver from burning truck after fiery crash - WDRB (by Richard Essex)