TAMPA -- Tampa's chief of police says the good Samaritan who helped a police officer out of her damaged, smoking cruiser probably saved her life. "I would definitely call him a hero," Chief Stephen Hogue said at a news conference this morning. "He stopped, rendered aid when, in fact, other people did not stop." Archie Thomas and his wife, Angela Cook, were on their way to his job about 6:30 a.m. when they saw a Jeep Cherokee stopped at a green light on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near North 27th Street. They beeped their vehicle's horn, which he said startled the driver, who began swerving back and forth, Thomas said. Thomas said he and his wife tried to flag down a deputy to stop the Jeep Cherokee. But the Jeep ran a red light, crossed the centerline of the four-lane road and crashed head-on into Officer Tara Edwards' police cruiser, Thomas said. Edwards could not get out of the cruiser because of her injuries, Thomas said. Thomas rushed to her aid. He said he was afraid to move Edwards because he thought she might have a head wound. Her cruiser was smoking, though, and he was afraid of what might happen if he didn't act quickly. He unfastened her seat belt and carried her to safety. "Thirty, 40 seconds later, it just exploded," Thomas said of the cruiser. "I knew if I reacted fast I could get her out in time." Angela Cook, a registered nurse, helped provide first aid to the injured officer. Another person, Douglas Rand, also helped Edwards after the crash, police said. "When he removed her, the vehicle was smoldering," Lt. Diane Hobley-Burney said. "Once he got her to safety on the sidewalk, it became engulfed in flames. ... If you could see the severity of this accident -- the officer was probably pretty shaken -- the citizen's assistance was essential in assuring her safety." Thomas said Edwards was incredibly calm, which helped him. "If she had panicked, I probably would've been like, 'Oh my God!'" The green 1994 Jeep Cherokee that struck the officer's cruiser was driven by 39-year-old Marti Sue Ottley of Tampa, Hobley-Burney said. Ottley and Edwards, an 18-year police veteran, were taken to Tampa General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Ottley might have a dislocated shoulder, Hobley-Burney said. Edwards has a broken leg and a severely broken wrist, Hogue said. No charges have been filed, and police are continuing to investigate what led to the crash, Hogue said. Thomas, who works for Truck Watch, a truck stop on Interstate 4, said he went to work after the crash, but his boss sent him home. After the news conference, he said, he would be heading out to eat at Golden Corral.
Story From: Tampa Tribune
Posted by: kwflatbed
Injured Florida Officer Thanks Rescue 'Angels'
Valerie Kalfrin Tampa Tribune, Fla.
-- May 22--TAMPA -- Tampa -- TAMPA With a brace around her right leg and a cast on her left arm, Tampa police Officer Tara Edwards hoisted herself out of a wheelchair Thursday to hug two men she called "gentleman angels." It was the first time Edwards had seen motorists Archie Thomas and Douglas Rand since May 5, when police said they pulled her from a burning patrol car after a head-on collision with an intoxicated driver. "Maybe it's because I'm sitting down -- they look huge!" she said afterward, causing them to laugh. Remembering the crash, she trembled and wiped away tears. "They are a true blessing," she said. "I'm just thankful to God that I'm here today to tell you all about it." The City Council and Police Chief Stephen Hogue awarded the men commendations for bravery. Thomas inspired more laughter from Edwards and Hogue when he remarked that he hadn't at first noticed the car was on fire. Both men said their greatest reward was seeing Edwards on the mend. "Thank you, dear," Rand said to her. "I had no choice. I wasn't going to pass you by." "If you hadn't stayed calm, I probably would've panicked myself," Thomas added. "You're strong." About 6:30 a.m. on May 5, Marti Sue Ottley struck Edwards' patrol car on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, police said. Thomas, traveling with his wife, Angela Cook, that morning, and Rand each said they had seen the woman's Jeep Cherokee weaving around a city bus and other vehicles before crossing the center line and crashing into the patrol car. Police charged Ottley with DUI with serious bodily injury, reckless driving and driving with a suspended or revoked license. Edwards, 47, said she had been driving to work that morning. "I was excited I was going to get to work a few minutes early," said Edwards, who joined the police department in 1990. "I was coming from another address." She remembered the collision; other images were spotty. "I remember putting my arm to the door and trying to get out." Then she realized, "I can't get out. I can't get this door open," she said. As smoke spewed from the patrol car, Rand and Thomas hesitated to move Edwards, not wanting to worsen her injuries, they said. But she insisted. "You kept saying, 'Baby, get me outta here. I can't move,'" Thomas said. Rand pried open the car's mangled door while Thomas unbuckled the officer's seat belt and carried her to the curb. Cook, a registered nurse, helped administer first aid. "I don't feel like a hero," Thomas said. "I just feel like somebody who was in the right place at the right time."
Informstion From: AP Wire Service
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