SEATTLE — Officers with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) likely saved a man’s life late Monday night after his vehicle caught fire after crashing into a tree in Madison Valley.
Officers pulled the man from the burning vehicle as rounds of ammunition began exploding inside, according to SPD.
The incident began around 9:40 p.m. near Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and East Yesler Way when officers attempted to stop a white sedan whose driver could be seen looking down at his cellphone while driving, an SPD Blotter post says.
The driver fled the officers, and shortly after, a pedestrian told officers a rough area where the vehicle had gone.
Officers located the vehicle crashed into a tree with the driver still inside. The vehicle had already caught fire and officers, along with a bystander, were able to get the man out of the vehicle.
Body cam footage shows officers extricating the man to safety just before the flames engulfed much of the vehicle.
Additionally, as the flames spread, apparent rounds of ammunition began exploding inside the car, but no one was hurt, SPD said.
The body cam footage shows officers attempting to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the extinguisher apparently malfunctioned.
The Seattle Fire Department arrived and was able to extinguish the fire and treat the driver, taking him to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.
Debris from the crash damaged two homes and an unoccupied car.
Officers discovered a firearm magazine in the vehicle.
The suspect was a convicted felon with a domestic violence-related warrant for second-degree assault, harassment, property damage and violating a no-contact order.
SPD plans to arrest the suspect once he completes his recovery at Harborview Medical Center.