Two northern California police officers, Lance Whitted and Erik Rueppel, were caught on camera doing the unthinkable.
Whitted and Rueppel were on duty in Sunnyvale when they heard what sounded like a traffic collision nearby. That's when they noticed a car had collided into the crossing guard. The front end of the vehicle was smashed and the driver was trapped inside, directly on the tracks — and a train was fast approaching the South Mary Ave Caltrain crossing.
To say the the two deputies needed to act fast is an understatement. One deputy ran up the tracks to try and alert the oncoming train. In the heart-stopping video below, you can see the driver pulled out of his car by the second deputy. He loses his footing, then stumbles to the ground as the train speeds towards him. The second deputy then, fearlessly and without hesitation, drags the driver out of harm's way just seconds before the train plows into the car.
The department is still investigating the incident, but one fact remains clear — were it not for these two courageous, quick-thinking officers, this driver may not be alive today.
Warning: This video may be upsetting to some viewers.
Watch the shocking moment below, and please SHARE this heroic act with your friends on Facebook.
At about 6:40 p.m. on August 3, 2015, two deputies — Lance Whitted and Erik Rueppel — were on duty when they heard a car crash into a crossing guard. They ran to the South Mary Avenue intersection and found the car trapped under the gate — just as a train was fast approaching.
One officer ran over to the smashed vehicle and pulled out the trapped driver. The man lost his footing before being dragged to safety by the deputy. Meanwhile, the other officer ran up the tracks to try to stop the oncoming train.
Deputies Whitted and Rueppel are being hailed heroes for their brave, selfless act. Were it not for these two officers, the driver may not be alive today.
Within mere seconds of saving the driver, the train plowed through the intersection, smashing the car to pieces.
