A Texas police officer is being credited with saving a woman’s life after pulling her from a burning vehicle along Interstate 30 in Mesquite late last month, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Body camera footage released by the Mesquite Police Department shows Officer Tyler Ingram rushing toward a vehicle engulfed in flames shortly after midnight on September 30. The driver, later identified as a suspected drunk driver, could be heard screaming for help as the fire rapidly spread.
Mesquite Police Officer Tyler Ingram is being hailed as a hero for rescuing 21-year-old Jacqueline Tenorio from her burning vehicle following a fiery crash on I-30, for which she was subsequently charged with DWI. https://t.co/JDjS7MEPda [2]
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) October 16, 2025 [3]
Ingram said the incident felt “like a movie.” The video shows him sprinting toward the car as thick smoke and flames consumed the front of the vehicle. When he reached the driver’s side door, it was jammed.
“I tried to pull her up. It took me a minute to find the door handle. It was bent so I just bent it open a little bit more and was able to pull her out,” Ingram told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
The driver, a woman whose name has not been released, cried out that she was “just in pain” as Ingram tried to open the damaged door. After forcing it open, he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to safety with help from another responding officer.
Dramatic video shows a fast-acting Texas cop pull a suspected drunk driver from her burning car that the officer said “felt like a movie.” The female driver can be heard screaming and crying in pain from the front seat as Officer Tyler Ingram of the Mesquite Police Department… pic.twitter.com/FRZE2K1N4M [4]
— Robbie Mouton (@mcgmouton57) October 17, 2025 [5]
Once the woman was clear of the vehicle, Ingram applied a tourniquet to her injured leg as the car was fully engulfed in flames. “As I got closer, I could hear a female screaming inside,” Ingram said.
“When I was at the driver’s door, the flames were starting to crawl from the front to the passenger compartment.”
The Mesquite Police Department said the woman is expected to make a full recovery, but was charged with driving while intoxicated.
“Drinking and driving do not mix. One decision can lead to tragedy in seconds,” the department said in a public statement. “We’re thankful no one else was hurt in this crash, and we urge everyone to make the right choice: plan a ride, call a friend, or use a rideshare.”
NEW: Driver rescued from burning car by Texas officer, then charged with DWI
21-year-old Jacqueline Tenorio was rescued from her burning car after she crashed into a concrete barrier on I-30
Officer Tyler Ingram found Tenorio disoriented and pulled her to safety seconds before… pic.twitter.com/ZPl8BQnHyr [6]
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) October 16, 2025 [7]
Ingram was monitoring traffic when he heard the crash from the opposite side of the highway and immediately drove across to assist. His quick response is being credited with preventing the incident from becoming fatal.
“We answer a lot of action-packed calls here, but this was more like a movie scene,” Ingram said.
Authorities have not disclosed the driver’s blood-alcohol content but confirmed that the case remains under investigation.