INDIANAPOLIS — It was a fiery crash that could have claimed lives if not for the quick thinking of an IMPD officer.
On the afternoon of May 5, IMPD Ofc. Austin Gray was on his way to work early.
"It was about 12:30 and I was sitting at the intersection of 25th and Keystone," Gray said.
Within seconds, a multi-vehicle crash happened right in front of him, involving a school bus with no kids onboard.
Body camera video shows Gray getting out of his vehicle and rushing to help the driver of a pickup truck on fire.
"The truck that was struck kind of caught on fire, landed about probably 6 inches in front of the police car," Gray said.
His training kicked in and he stepped into action, sharing with dispatch what happened, all while staying focused.
"Tunnel vision happens pretty frequently, even with police officers that respond to these critical types of runs," Gray said.
Once Gray helped the driver of the burning truck to safety, his attention turned to another vehicle nearby. A woman was trapped inside pleading for others to help her child in the backseat.
"We were luckily able to unlock the car and give me access to the back where the baby was, and get the car seat out and get the car seat away from the fire," Gray said.
Gray, a five-year veteran of IMPD, is also father.
"You see your kids in other people's children. It changes your ... not necessarily your response, but your emotional attachment to runs," Gray said.
The scene is still chaotic.
"I didn't know how many injuries there were aside from those two in the first two vehicles," Gray said.
In the body cam video, a woman runs up to the officer saying a school bus driver is unresponsive.
"We're trying to get her out right now. Something really bad's happened to her," said the woman.
Gray tells dispatch more help is needed.
The video then shows Gray running back toward the fire. There are two men holding fire extinguishers. One man hands it to Gray. He tries to lessen the flames.
"I thought it was working for a while and you kind of see the flames come out of the fire extinguisher smoke," said Gray. "At this point it's so hot, it's burning so quickly."
They back away as the sound of emergency crews draw closer. Gray said he watched the body cam video of his actions that day.
"It's hard to understand what could've happened, all the what-if's you play. I'm thankful I was there. I'm thankful that it was in the right time," Gray said.
He's also thankful he could offer comfort in the midst of chaos.
In the video, Gray walks over to two women sitting in the grass to check on them.
"Whose truck is this? Are you guys OK? A little shaken up obviously. You guys OK?" asked Gray.
"I thought I was gonna die, that's what I thought," said one woman.
Thankfully, no lives were lost.
"I'm thankful I was there. I'm thankful I was able to get everyone away that needed to be away from it," Gray said.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.