The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

and JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter


jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A POLICE sergeant rushing to work pulled a family of four from a burning vehicle moments before it exploded on Gladstone Road.

Sergeant 2543 Michael Farrow said he was driving to the Nassau Street Police Station around 6.55pm in a marked police vehicle last Saturday evening when he saw a white BMW X3 in the northbound lane with heavy smoke pouring from beneath the bonnet.

He pulled alongside, checked on the driver and told him to switch off the engine as flames began erupting from the front of the vehicle. After parking ahead of the SUV, he ran back to help.

The driver warned him that others were still inside. As they reached the passenger side, the occupants began scrambling out.

“The two other doors opened up, and the lady came out holding a young baby in her hand,” Sergeant Farrow recalled yesterday, adding that a little girl also exited from the back seat.

The officer led the family across the road to a vacant lot as flames spread into the interior and intense heat radiated from the vehicle. He then urged them to move farther away seconds before two small explosions erupted and sparks flew.

After he radioed for assistance, two more explosions followed, igniting nearby bushes.

Additional officers arrived around 7.15pm to divert traffic. Firefighters reached the scene at 7.26pm and extinguished the blaze and burning bushes by about 7.50pm. The area was cleared by 8.45pm.

Sergeant Farrow said the driver, correctional officer Romani Campbell, had been travelling with his wife, Esthel Campbell, and their children when a dashboard alert advised him to drive moderately. He slowed but soon noticed smoke coming from under the bonnet before the officer intervened.

According to Sergeant Farrow, Mrs Campbell later said she was thankful to have escaped, although her wallet and identification cards were destroyed. He said he reassured her that those items could be replaced and that the family’s safety mattered most.

“I’ll do it for anyone, whether armed enforcement or not,” Sergeant Farrow said.

The family later thanked the officer, crediting his actions with saving their lives.