WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) -- A Williamson County deputy is being saluted for his quick thinking and bravery after arresting a suspected drunk driver who was in harm's way early Sunday morning.

Around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 18, members of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office pursued a vehicle that had already fled from the Columbia Police Department.

Body camera footage shows the chase, as well as the dramatic moments that followed when the vehicle erupted into flames.

The suspect -- identified by authorities as 23-year-old Armando Hernandez -- refused to pull over, even after the deputy stepped out of his vehicle, raised his weapon, and ordered Hernandez to comply.

The deputy told dispatch multiple times the tires were coming apart and the car was catching on fire.

After many minutes, Hernandez surrendered. Then, as the suspect was laying on the ground, the car began to ignite right next to him. The deputy was forced to secure Hernandez but also get him to safety.

"Get away from that car! Get up!" the deputy yelled before pointing to a patch of dirt on the side of the road and ordering Hernandez to get on the ground over there.

"Safety first, always. He did a great job. He did a great job all the way around. He kept cover of the suspect and got him to safety, and thank God there were no injuries," WCSO Capt. Becky Coyle told News 2.

Shortly afterward, while the car burned in the background, the driver and the deputy had a chat, which was recorded by the body cam.

Hernandez: "There's nothing important in my car. I just didn't want-"

Deputy: "So why did you run from me when I tried to pull you over?"

Hernandez: "I didn't think I was…I didn't even realize all that."

Deputy: "You didn't realize you were taking off? As soon as I turned my lights on, you were flying down that road and then you stopped and you took off through that light."

Hernandez: "I didn't, I didn't think I was, like, you know, I thought I was just...I didn't really know I was drunk."

"Deputies are out 24/7, and this is just one of those cases that proves that while our community is sleeping, our guys got your back," Coyle said.

Hernandez was charged with evading arrest and driving under the influence in Williamson County, as well as leaving the scene of a crash in Columbia.

No additional details have been released about this incident.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/video-pursuit-leads-to-fiery-rescue-in-williamson-county/