April 19, 2019
Source/Camden County Police Department
In this body cam footage provided by the Camden County Police Department, officers work at the scene of a fiery vehicle crash to rescue four men.
Four Camden County police officers were recognized Friday morning for life-saving heroism in the line of duty.
The Neighborhood Response Team officers – Vaughn Edwards, Joseph Mair, Brian McCline and Vincent Russomanno – were named "Officers of the Week" for their efforts to save four men involved in a two-vehicle collision overnight April 7.
About 2:30 a.m. on April 7, Mair was on patrol in the area of 7th and Sycamore streets in Camden when he heard the sound of a car crash and then saw flames coming from I-676 nearby, according to police. Quickly relaying the crash information on the radio for other officers, he drove onto the interstate as the first officer on the scene. He quickly saw that a collision ad left two vehicles side-by-side badly damaged and on fire, with two adult males trapped inside each vehicle.
Edwards, McCline and Russomanno soon arrived at the scene, along with Delaware River Port Authority Police Department Officer Franklin Flash and several civilian motorists who had stopped to help, police said. Together they worked to free the victims from the vehicles, shattering windows and the windshield on one of the vehicles. Two men were rescued from that vehicle moments before it became engulfed in flames. Both victims suffered extensive burns and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The officers also helped free two men from a burning SUV in the crash by forcing open a door and ensuring their escape, according to police.
“The quick actions taken by Officers Edwards, Mair, McCline and Russomanno ensured that all four victims survived this crash,” said Lt. John Martinez.
The department is looking to identify and thank the civilians who stopped to help at the scene.
Edwards joined the Camden County Police Department in 2015, with Mair and McCline joining in 2016 and Russomanno in 2017.
The department regularly honors officers who embody its motto: “Service Before Self.”
