DAVIS, California — Davis Police Corporal Pheng Ly broke a vehicle's window, opened its door and pulled an unresponsive driver away from a fire after a freeway crash, according to the Davis Police Department.
The rescue happened during the early morning hours of November 1, 2026, on eastbound Hwy 80, just east of Richards Blvd., the department said. The newly released account concerns that earlier incident, not a new crash today.
From a smoking vehicle to a rescue
In its public account, the department said Ly responded after learning that one of the cars involved in the collision was smoking. When he arrived, the vehicle's engine compartment was engulfed in flames.
Police said Ly ran toward the car and began breaking the driver's-side window while trying to communicate with the person inside. He reached into the car, unlocked the door and unbuckled the driver, who was not responding. Ly was then able to wake the driver and pull him out and away from the flames, the department said.
The department released Ly's body-camera footage Monday, according to a CBS Sacramento report dated November 9, 2026. CBS described the recording as showing Ly break the window, open the door and remove the driver. That report and the department's account describe the same rescue; they are not separate eyewitness confirmations.
The collision investigation
Davis police said the California Highway Patrol investigated the collision. According to the department, the driver was treated for injuries and subsequently arrested on suspicion of DUI. An arrest is not a finding of guilt; the driver is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. This report does not identify the driver or speculate about his medical recovery.
The department also said this was the second time Ly had pulled someone from a burning vehicle.
Image: Archival contextual photograph of I-80 near Richards Boulevard, not the November 1 rescue. Credit: Davis Wiki contributors; file uploaded by PhilipNeustrom on April 17, 2005. Original file information. Used under the Davis Wiki reuse policy, CC BY 3.0. Cropped, resized and labeled by ThinBlueNews. No endorsement implied.
