BOGALUSA, La. — A Washington Parish sheriff’s deputy saved two women from a burning car this morning after he saw smoke and heard screams coming from the edge of the woods.
According to the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Ronnie Manning was serving civil papers in the Lee’s Creek Road area when he saw smoke as he passed by Quave Road.
Manning turned around, drove down Quave Road and found an upside down burning vehicle in the edge of the woods. Screams were coming from inside.
Manning rushed to the car and saw two women trapped inside as the front of the car burned.
He grabbed a hammer from his patrol car, broke the rear window of the car and got the women out of the vehicle without injury.
The women were rescued from injury and possibly death, but the women did not escape arrest, the sheriff’s office said.
The driver, 34-year-old Bridget Stogner of Bogalusa, was arrested for DWI and careless operation of a vehicle.
The passenger, 30-year-old Brittany Purvis of Bogalusa, was arrested for possession of schedule IV drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.
No bond was set as of Friday afternoon.
“Once he realized the two women were trapped in a burning vehicle with no means of escape, Deputy Manning did not hesitate,” Sheriff Randy Seal said. “Grabbing a hammer from inside his vehicle, he quickly determined the rear window was the only avenue of escape from the spreading flames and broke out the window so the women could escape. Had it not been for his being in the right place at the right time and quickly responding to the dangerous situation, there most certainly would have been two fatalities. I commend Deputy Manning for his quick and decisive action. Thank you, Ronnie, for a job well done.”