New Jersey: Sparta police officer narrowly avoids being hit by flaming box truck
A veteran township police sergeant narrowly escaped serious injury Saturday when he dodged a flaming box truck as it rolled toward his cruiser.
The incident, captured in a dramatic dashcam video, shows Sgt. Joseph Pensado's diving out of the smoke-filled car just before the 2004 GMC Box Truck speeds by along Route 15. The truck was unoccupied, and later came to rest after striking a guardrail across the highway.
Pensado and other officers were called to the southbound side of the highway just after noon, where they found two Landing men who had been riding in the vehicle standing by the truck as thick black smoke poured out of its engine.
The men were moved out of the immediate area as the smoke intensified, and the truck eventually burst into flames and began to roll backward down the road toward two cruisers.
Pensado raced to one car in an attempt to move it out of the truck's path, but was overcome by smoke and made his narrow escape on foot.
The 13-year-veteran was taken to Newton Medical Center to be treated for a severely bruised right shoulder and an undisclosed injury to his left knee, police said. He was released later Saturday afternoon, but is not expected to return to active duty for several weeks.
Local firefighters were called to extinguish the flames on the truck, which was later towed.
Southbound traffic around the 11 mile marker on Route 15 was detoured for approximately two hours while the scene was cleared. No charges have been filed in the incident, according to police.
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