Dashcam footage released by authorities shows two New Jersey police officers rescuing an unconscious driver from a burning vehicle after an automatic emergency alert from the man’s phone led first responders to the scene, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
The crash occurred on November 9 along Route 27 near Franklin Township, according to WABC.
Police identified the driver as 26-year-old Safwan Islam. Investigators said Islam crashed into a tree after experiencing a medical episode behind the wheel.
Dramatic video shows hero cops pulling unconscious driver from fiery NJ wreckage — after phone saved his life https://t.co/d7AVGEfYhK [2] pic.twitter.com/TEa5wlF2ax [3]
— New York Post (@nypost) November 26, 2025 [4]
He was unconscious when his iPhone triggered its “Call After Severe Crash” feature, which automatically contacts emergency services following a 20-second countdown.
Responding officers Yash Shroff and Thomas Sites arrived to find the vehicle already engulfed in flames. Dramatic video footage shows the officers breaking through the driver’s side window and pulling Islam from the car as the fire spread through the cabin.
South Brunswick police described the outcome as extraordinary, stating:
“This is a miracle by every aspect of the word miracle. And the officers’ actions are heroic. As you can see in the video, it’s pretty dramatic, how the flames are leaping at their feet as they’re pulling him out.” Police added, “Within seconds, that scene turns… to a fully engulfed car fire. This is a miracle — a Thanksgiving miracle, I call it.”
Islam underwent surgery for back and neck injuries and was released from the hospital Tuesday. His father, Naushad, said he wrote a letter to the officers who rescued his son.
He told NBC New York, “I couldn’t say anything other than thank you. What else can I say? For them, it’s probably the work they do every day to save everybody’s life. But for me, it’s getting back my son to my family, so I can’t thank them enough.”
He also said, “He’s doing well, he’s talking. When he was in the hospital, we weren’t sure how he was doing. It was really, really bad.”
He added, “He’s doing much better. I would say that compared to what he went through, it’s nothing but divine intervention.”
Authorities in Franklin Township continue to investigate the cause of the crash. Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.