New Orleans-area police officer rescues family from sinking car after crash
A Louisiana family is lucky to be alive after their car went off a road and began sinking the day after Thanksgiving. Kenner police officer Clarence Carr was on duty and received a call about the accident. Without hesitation, he sprang into action and was able to save a woman and her 3-year-old daughter.
Yesterday (Dec. 5), local New Orleans news station WWL-TV 4 published an article about his heroic story. Carr mentioned that the frightening incident happened just after 1 a.m. on Nov. 25. The police officer said, “It had been raining for like the last two or three days,” and the conditions caused a “sludge pit” to form. The accumulation of rain and mud made it easy for the car containing the family to sink. Carr noted that the driver was able to free himself from the vehicle but frantically explained that his wife and child were still inside.
In an exclusive statement to REVOLT today (Dec. 6), Carr said, “This happened just hours after Thanksgiving. I’m extremely thankful for being able to get to the area quickly and help the occupants of the vehicle out. Once I saw the young girl, [I] absolutely knew I had to help as much and as quickly as I could. I think that’s what motivates me at the end of the day, the ability to help those who can’t necessarily help themselves in times of uncertainty. We all need a little help sometimes. I’m thankful and humbled that I was able to help them.”
By the time backup arrived, the sludge levels had reached his chest. “My boots and everything were completely soaked in just this thick, almost quicksand-like dirt, so the firemen and my coworkers had to pull me out,” Carr told the local news station. He added that this isn’t his first time being in the right place at the right time when a motorist required assistance. A few months ago, he was able to rescue a senior citizen who’d accidentally driven his car into a canal near W. Metairie Road. The lifesaver stayed modest about his actions, saying, “I just think I do my job. I mean, this is what I signed up to do and this is what I enjoy doing.”
