When an Arkansas department’s patrol vehicle slammed into the back of a stopped school bus, it erupted in flames. The officer was trapped inside his patrol unit, and after not being able to pull him from the wreckage, the bus driver fought the fire with an extinguisher from the bus.

On Monday, a Pine Bluff School District school bus was waiting at a stop light when a police vehicle struck it from behind, reported THV11.

Following the crash, the Pine Bluff Police Department said the outcome could have been worse if several citizens had not immediately acted. The officer was initially reported to be in critical condition but stable.

Police initially said one man had used a fire extinguisher while others cut away the airbags so the officer could breathe and stayed with him until emergency crews arrived.

"We thank all of you who stopped to help the officer and quite possibly saved his life. We would like to know who the person was who stopped and put out the fire,” the police department said afterwards. “He left before anyone got his name. We owe him a debt of gratitude and a new fire extinguisher."

Later, police learned that the extinguisher-wielding hero was Carl Smith, a school bus driver who is also a retired teacher and coach. He said he had tried to get the officer’s door open, but that “wasn’t humanly possible.”

“They put their life on the line every day, so it was only right to save his life,” Smith said.

No students were on the bus at the time of the crash.

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