The province has awarded a Windsor Police Constable with the Ontario Medal for Police Bravery after he rescued a man from a burning vehicle.
Travelling with his family two years ago on a remote highway, Constable B.J. Wiley noticed the fiery vehicle. Inside, an elderly driver couldn't escape.
Despite the obvious danger to himself, Wiley approached the vehicle and noticed the doors were locked. The driver was tangled in the seatbelt.
Fortunately, a window was partly opened, so he started to pull the man out of the wreckage.
The driver was almost free when his foot got caught on the inside of the door.
Wiley managed to free him and pull him to safety just as the vehicle exploded.
He received his medal, along with 20 other police officers and 13 firefighters, at a ceremony in Toronto.
"I have spent much time thinking about the constant risks and dangers that first responders face," said Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell. "Our province has benefited greatly from their service. In accepting these medals, I hope that these brave men and women will re-commit themselves to serving the public with integrity, knowing that their accomplishments will help motivate a new generation of Ontarians to join their ranks, looking to follow their example."
Ontario has awarded 315 police officers for their bravery since 1975 and 260 firefighters since 1976.
