Racine County deputies rescue woman from burning car

UNION GROVE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A scary scene Thursday night, as Racine County sheriff's deputies arrived minutes after they say a pick-up truck carrying a large trailer blew through a stop sign, crashing into a car on Highway 45 and KR in Union Grove.

Deputies raced to the car that caught fire, finding an unconscious woman injured inside.

"They obviously quickly ran up to the car to observe that she was unconscious," said Lt. Michael Luell with the Racine County Sheriff's Office. "Those flames were becoming more intense, so they did remove the seatbelt, and they did pull her out of the vehicle as carefully as they could."

Lieutenant Luell says thanks to a call from a witness on the scene, deputies were able to respond, save the 41-year-old woman and put out the fire in minutes.

"They performed admirably," said Lt. Luell. "I think, without a doubt, they saved a life that day. They showed compassion and care for that woman, and they extinguished the fire so no one else was injured."

The woman was taken to Froedtert Hospital by helicopter, where she is still recovering and being treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

"Theres going to be a long road to recovery for her," said Lt. Luell.

The driver of the pick-up truck and two passengers were not injured. The investigation into the crash is ongoing and the driver could face charges.