WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A driver in West Palm Beach survived a violent car crash without serious injuries late last month.
The West Palm Beach Police Department posted a video of the crash on its Facebook page Thursday.
The agency released little information related to the incident.
The video, which has a timestamp of Wednesday at 1:51 a.m., shows a car driving fast on Flagler Drive near Eighth Street.
Video shows that multiple police vehicles were parked along the road on the opposite side of the fast-moving car.
As the car passed officers, it smashed head-on into a light pole and burst into flames.
"All of a sudden, I hear a boom, and I looked out of my window," witness John Piscr said.
Violent crash caught on camera in West Palm Beach
Piscr looked out his window from a building across the street from the crash.
"And all of a sudden I see a fire, I see cop cars, I see the cops come up with fire extinguishers to put out the fire and drag the driver out of the car," he said.
Piscr said after living in the building for five years, he often sees people traveling fast along Flagler Drive and all too often crashing.
"People have hit other light poles down here. People just fly through the curve, and they lose control. So it's happened before," he said.
The video shows officers responding to the wreck and later dragging the driver, whose name was not released, away from the crash.
"Just shocked, amazed, and thanks to God that everyone was OK, especially my officers because they were right there. In one fell swoop, I could've been at a loss of four officers," assistant chief of police Tameca West said.
West said the video is a teachable moment.
"Thankfully everyone is fine. This vehicle missed several officers who were standing nearby!" the department posted on its Facebook page with the video.
This story was originally published by Scott Sutton and Todd Wilson on Scripps station WPTV in West Plam Beach, Florida.
