A van crashed into a bridge overpass on Ritson Road at Highway 401 in Oshawa. The lone occupant was unconscious inside and the vehicle was on fire. A cab driver was first on scene, frantically trying to open the locked doors to get the driver out. He tried to smash windows to get in–but to no avail. The flames and smoke inside the van began encircling the driver’s body. A thick column of smoke was rising high into the night air. Cst. Phil Blandford arrived on the chilly December morning just before 4 a.m. The two men were able to gain access to the driver and pulled him out as the heat and flames intensified, singeing their hair. The driver’s jacket and pants were on fire, which Cst. Blandford extinguished. The two men pulled the body further away as the fire continued and the van tires began to explode. The driver was transported to hospital with smoke inhalation, significant second-degree burns and a broken femur. The actions of Cst. Blandford and the civilian undoubtedly saved the driver’s life.
