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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) Every day, law enforcement officers go out of their way to help others. We want to tell you how one deputy’s quick actions may have helped save lives at a fiery crash in Colorado Springs.
Every day deputies are called out to dangerous scenes, but every once in a while, they stumble upon them.
Sgt. Chris Gonzalez was headed to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in downtown Colorado Springs on Tuesday — when something happened.
“It was out of the blue, didn’t expect it at all,” Gonzalez told 11 News reporter Katie Pelton. “I heard a loud crash, and I looked up the street and saw car parts flying everywhere and a couple of cars stacked on top of each other.”
His instincts kicked in. He ran over to the crash on the Bijou bridge over I-25.
“I noticed there was a couple people pinned,” said Gonzalez.
Suddenly, one of the vehicles caught on fire. Most people might not run toward danger, but for Gonzalez there was no question.
“The engine became engulfed in flames, and I had to make a decision as to what to do next and ran back, got my fire extinguisher.”
He put the fire out quickly. Four people were taken to the hospital, three with serious injuries.
Police on the scene told 11 News that the sergeant’s quick thinking saved lives.
“Things could have been a lot worse, we could have had a fatality,” said CSPD Sgt. Shane Alvarez. “So it was an awesome job by the deputy.”
Many of us would call his efforts heroic, but for Sgt. Gonzalez, he says it was just another day on the job.
