Regular Hero: Joe Chambers

Philadelphia City Council honored a teen and his neighbor for saving a Philadelphia police officer from his cruiser after it burst into flames.

Joe Chambers, 17, and his 24-year-old neighbor Dante Johnson, who saved Officer Mark Kimsey last Saturday by pulling him from the burning car, were recognized by officials in City Hall Thursday morning.

A few days before, the officer himself thanked Johnson and the heroic high schooler.

“He’s my hero, by far,” said Officer Mark Kimsey. “If he wouldn’t have pulled me out of that car, I’d still be sitting in it.” 

Kimsey, 30, was released from the hospital Monday after he was hurt in the fiery crash over the weekend. The married father was responding to a priority call around 5:25 p.m. Saturday when a Toyota pickup truck collided with his cruiser at the intersection of 28th and Tasker streets, police said.

The force of the crash left Kimsey trapped inside as the police cruiser burst into flames.

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