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A Tampa police officer recently rescued an 80-year-old great-grandmother and a toddler who were pinned underneath a car after it backed into them in a parking lot.
Dramatic camera footage released by the Tampa Police Department showed Police Corporal Lance Baker working to free the elderly woman and her 3-year-old great-granddaughter who were pinned underneath a Toyota Corolla.
The incident took place in the parking lot of Arbour Ponds Apartments at 1:30 p.m. on December 18, as the woman was walking while pushing the child in a stroller.
According to the 23-year-old driver, he thought he had hit a storm drain at first and continued to try to back up until the car would not move. He then realized he had hit someone.
Neighbors at the scene initially lifted the car with a hydraulic jack before first responders arrived to complete the rescue.
As seen in his body-cam footage, Baker first removed the grocery bags that were between the woman and the car to give her some breathing room. With support from firefighters, the corporal then cut the toddler loose from her stroller and brought her to safety before extracting her great-grandma.
A press release from the department said that the great-grandmother was in critical condition at the hospital, while the toddler was in stable condition.
“We are proud of Cpl. Baker’s quick actions and calmness under pressure while helping this family. This is a shining example of the work Tampa Police officers do every day to protect and serve their community, not knowing if they’ll be called upon to save a life or put their own life on the line at any given call for service,” Interim Chief of Police Lee Bercaw said in the press release. “We are thankful for the good Samaritans and Tampa firefighters who also jumped into action to help make sure this grandmother and young child will get a chance to see another Christmas this week with their family.”
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