Upton Officer Rushes To Wake Sleeping Family As Flames Rip Through Garage
UPTON (CBS) – Police officers were in the right place at the right time when they noticed flames ripping through the garage of a home as the family slept inside.
Officers were patrolling on Hopkinton Road in Upton early Saturday morning when they spotted flames coming from a garage and part of a new addition to the home.
The cruiser's dashboard camera shows the officer pull over and run toward the house.
In the video, the officer can be heard yelling "Your garage is on fire you gotta get out of the house!"
While the officer was waiting for the Upton Fire Department to respond, he woke up family members and helped them and their pets escape.
To wake the residents, the officer forced his way through a closed wooden gate and loudly pounded on the home's door.
Homeowner Julie Crawley was awaken by police lights. She was inside the house along with her husband, their 8-year-old son and five dogs.
"And the next thing I know he's pounding on our door and he's like 'Police officer!' He's like 'Your house is on fire! Ya gotta get out of here! Gotta get out!'" Crawley recalled. "So we ran upstairs and got my son out of bed and we said the house is on fire we need to get out of here. And that's when we saw smoke and flames just pouring out of our garage."
Upton Police Chief Michael Bradley said the officer's quick actions may have saved lives.
"Very diligent, alert, doing what he's supposed to be doing," Bradley said. "So we're real proud of him and he potentially saved a family from a tragedy."
Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire and the majority of the damage was contained to the garage.
Upton Police posted that it was fortunate the officer was in the right place at the right time.
The garage and new addition were about three weeks from being completed. Now they are a total loss, along with the contractor's tools.
But the family is safe, and the rest of the home is fine thanks to the Upton officer's actions.
"So fortunate" said Crawley. "I get a lump in my throat every time I think about it. He was unbelievable"