Two Port Arthur police officers are being hailed as heroes for pulling two men from a fiery crash.
On October 21, a vehicle crashed into the fence at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, near the football stadium, and caught on fire.
When officers Tomas Barboza and Luis Sanchez arrived, they pulled the passenger to safety but the driver said he was trapped because his foot was stuck.
The officers refused to leave the driver in the burning vehicle and managed to pull him out just before the entire truck went up flames.
Officer Sanchez describes the harrowing scene, "feeling the heat, hearing the popping noises, seeing the truck burst in flames a couple of more times and exploding. I think that's when the actual feeling of fear came into play."
"You really don't think about it," says Officer Barboza. "You put on this uniform to do a job and you hear something like that come on the radio you act on it."
Both officers were recognized for their bravery at Monday's Port Arthur city council meeting.
Officer Barboza says, "I really don't want to be in the spotlight but you see a lot of negatives for police these days so it's a positive thing to be recognized for something that is good."