LODI, Calif – An elderly man was rescued by a police officer after she spotted him stuck on the railroad tracks as a train was barrelling towards him, NBC affiliate KRCA reported.
Officer Erika Urrea of the Lodi Police Department south of Sacramento was in the area when she spotted the man in an electric wheelchair crossing the railroad tracks at around 8:44 a.m. Wednesday morning. She realized then that he was unable to fully cross and the wheels were caught between the metal tracks.
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As the arms of the railroad crossing were coming down, Urrea parked her car on the side of the road to quickly assist the man.
On 08/12/2020 at around 844 AM, Officer Urrea was in the area of Lodi Ave and the railroad tracks when she saw a male in...
Posted by Lodi Police Department on Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Body camera footage shared by Lodi Police Department’s Facebook page showed Urrea unbuckling the man from the wheelchair and pulled him to safety in the knick of time. Both fell to the ground just as the train rushed through.
The man’s leg was struck, and was taken to a local hospital where he is expected to survive, police told KRCA.
“Officer Urrea risked her own life to save another and her actions prevented a tragedy today,” Lodi Police Department wrote on their Facebook page, “We are extremely proud of Officer Erika Urrea and her heroism.”