WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — Two White Settlement police officers are being called heroes after they rescued a man from a burning car in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 29.
The man rescued, Mark Doporto, credits the officers for saving his life.
"Without them being there for me I won't be there today," Doporto said.
Police said officers responded around 2:40 a.m. in the 1700 block of South Cherry Lane to a crash where a car struck a pole. The crash caused the car to catch fire, police said.
Doporto told WFAA the accident happened when his fiance, Karina Garcia, fell asleep at the wheel. Doporto was unconscious when officers arrived, police said.
"I wasn’t sure if he was gonna wake up. I didn’t know how bad the injuries were," Garcia said.
According to Doporto, he suffered a concussion from the crash, along with a broken leg and a fractured neck. It'll take him three months to recover, and he won't be able to work in the meantime.
According to police, arriving officers learned there were two occupants in the vehicle at the time of the crash and that the driver was able to escape.
Police said officers were able to pull the man out of the burning vehicle as medical crews arrived.
"I'm just thankful to be alive," Doporto said.
Watch video from the incident below:
"I want to highlight the heroic actions by the brave police officers who serve our community," said White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook. "As you can see from the video, had it not been for the quick and decisive actions by police, this crash could have had a very different outcome."
Both the driver and passenger were transported to a hospital for treatment and are expected to survive, police said.
Investigators are looking into the cause of the crash and have not ruled out that speeding may have been a factor, according to police.