Cop Who Single-Handedly Lifted Overturned Car To Free Trapped Woman Hailed As Hero

A deputy officer in Virginia has been hailed a hero after single-handedly lifting an overturned car to free a woman who was trapped in it.

Deputy J. Holt responded to an incident involving an overturned vehicle on May 17. As he moved closer to the car, the deputy heard a child screaming from the inside, saying that his mother was stuck, reported WVEC-TV.

The mother was lying underneath the vehicle with her head pinned by the sunroof.

"He said she can't breathe and you know, calling to his mother and at that point had her head was pinned underneath the vehicle," Holt told WVEC-TV.

Holt pulled the child out of the car first. He then used his strength to lift the vehicle and free the woman from it.

"At that point, I put my shoulder into the doorframe and braced as best I could and I said, 'All I have to do is just stand up.' That's what all I was telling myself, and at that point with as much effort as I could, I tried to stand up and stood up enough so she could free herself and was able to start breathing," Holt said further.

The woman who was trapped in the vehicle is now doing well, AP News said in a report, citing the deputy.

Gloucester Sheriff's Office released the footage from Holt's body camera Tuesday and lauded the officer for his heroic deed.

"Seeing the trauma her child was witnessing, Deputy J. Holt went into overdrive. Through sheer will and determination due to fearing the female may succumb to her circumstance in front of her panic-stricken child, Deputy J. Holt took quick action and was able to physically lift the vehicle up enough for the driver to maneuver her head out to safety," it said.

Holt has also received compliments on social media and hundreds of messages thanking him for his service.

Last year, Holt was also lauded for another heroic act. The officer was praised for rushing into a burning house and saving the lives of two individuals in the afternoon of March 24, 2020. He received both the local and regional Top Cop Awards from the Greater Hampton Roads Regional Crime Line for his commitment to public safety.