In what plays out like an action movie, dramatic body cam footage released Tuesday shows New Jersey State Troopers pull a driver from a burning tractor-trailer -- moments before it explodes.
The edge-of-the-seat rescue occurred at about 3:35 p.m. Monday on Interstate 287 in Bridgewater Township, police say.
The video shows Trooper Robert Tarleton conducting a traffic stop when he receives a call about an 18-wheeler that had run off the road and burst into flames just a short distance ahead.
"He drove to the scene before exiting his vehicle and sprinting to the burning tractor-trailer," New Jersey State Police posted on Facebook. "As he approached the truck, State Police Lieutenant Edward Ryer, who was on his way home from work, was out of his vehicle attempting to rescue the driver from the cab."
The pair grabbed the apparently confused driver and dragged him out of the cab and onto the highway -- just as the rig's gas tank explodes, engulfing the truck in flames. The driver escaped with only minor injuries, police say.
Photo: Getty Images