Lewiston cop injured in crash

LEWISTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — Lewiston Police are investigating after an officer was involved in a crash on Military Road early Wednesday morning.

A preliminary investigation revealed that a Lewiston Police patrol vehicle was traveling northbound on Military Road when it struck the back of a tractor-trailer near the I-190 North exit ramp, causing the patrol vehicle to ignite.

According to officials, officer Joshua Belin was unresponsive and trapped inside the patrol vehicle. Officer Cody Bruyere and New York State Trooper Adam Moen arrived on the scene. The Lewiston Chief of Police Frank Previte said the two removed Officer Belin from the fully involved vehicle.

"It takes a lot to run towards something like that — and that's what I would like to say these guys and girls do that every day and they're prepared to do that every day they don't think of themselves first. There's a lot of danger running up to a burning vehicle," Previte said. "They're used to putting others before themselves it's a little bit more when you know it's one of our own."

Chief Previte said the life-saving efforts started even before the trooper and officer arrived on scene. Right before the impact, the truck driver, Paul Fisher an employee of Vargo Trucking, got out of his tractor-trailer and saw the SUV engulfed in flames.

"He probably helped save his life as well because he was unconscious in the vehicle and the truck driver got out with his fire extinguishing materials and was able to knock down the fire a little bit," Previte said. "Had he not done that it would've been out of control probably by the time that they got there."