Good Samaritan and police officer rescue driver from burning car

FULLERTON, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Police body cam video captured the moment an officer and a good Samaritan working together to rescue a driver from his burning car.

A Fullerton police officer's body cam shows the dramatic rescue which happened last Wednesday. 21-year-old Ricardo Vasquez is seen wearing the brownish orange shirt and shorts and is holding a hammer in his hand.

"Really didn't think twice about it...the hardest object I had was a hammer," Vasquez said.

The construction worker says he grabbed his hammer to bust open the windows and open the door of the burning white SUV.

"It was kinda scary, honestly. I was just...a bunch of thoughts in my head, 'Hopefully it doesn't blow up,'" Vasquez shared.

Police say the driver was having a medical emergency when he slammed into a parked car, right in front of Vasquez's house on Valencia Drive.

"The pieces of tire...the rubber was really hot, so it was jumping the side of my body. It was kinda burning a little bit...opened the door [and] tried to unbuckle him," Vasquez added.

As the officer and Vasquez pulled the driver out, a neighbor, Jorge Jimeno, grabbed a water hose to put out the flames.

"The fire is almost there, so I get to hose and water trying to avoid the fire," Jimeno remembered.

The driver is conscious and responsive after he's pulled to safety.

"my conscious would have been eating me up like, 'Damn, I could have helped him,'" Jimeno expressed.

Neighbors are certain had it not been for everyone's quick actions, the driver may not have been saved.

"Tried to help him out tried to save his life. Instead of seeing him losing it, my instinct kicked in saying, 'At least try to do something about it instead of leaving him in there,'" Vasquez detailed.

Vasquez says aside from a small blister on his leg. He is doing just fine and he hopes the driver is recovering.