By Dana Williams
Malverne police Sgt. Jason Moss and officers Robert Lang and Matthew Hill helped a driver of a Dodge Caravan escape from his burning car after an accident on Ocean Avenue in Malverne on June 24. The driver of the Caravan lost control of the vehicle, police said, and slammed into a tree, and the minivan burst into flames.
While Moss and Hill worked to open the driver¹s-side door, which was smashed in the collision, Lang opened the rear door to try to get the driver out. Lang managed to cut the driver¹s seat belt, while Moss and Hill eventually broke open the driver¹s-side door. Thanks to their collective effort, the three officers were able to pull the driver, who suffered only minor injuries, out of the car to safety. The officers received assistance from members of the Malverne and Lynbrook fire departments, who extinguished the flames inside the car.
³As soon as we saw what was going on, we ran over and opened up the car to get the guy out,² said Moss, who has been a police officer in Malverne for nearly six years. ³I was more than happy to help out that day, and I¹m happy to help the residents in Malverne every day.²
The three officers were honored on Monday as this year¹s recipients of the Town of Hempstead¹s Police Service Awards. Lang, Moss and Hill, along with 14 others from the Nassau County Police Department¹s surrounding precincts, were presented with citations and medals by Town Supervisor Kate Murray at a ceremony at Town Hall.
³Whether it is saving lives, mediating a family dispute or removing drunken drivers from our highways, our policemen and women ... can be truly called our heroes,² Murray said. ³And this evening we are honored to be recognizing them.²
The hall was filled with town officials as well as family and friends of the honorees. Lang, who was sworn in by Malverne Mayor Patricia Ann McDonald and Aresta on July 11, explained that he was in the process of completing his field training when the incident occurred. ³I¹m just happy that we were able to help the driver and that everything turned out OK in the end,² Lang said, getting a hug from his son Luke. ³It was very nice to receive this award, and I¹m very happy to be serving the village as an officer.²
³All three of the guys are outstanding officers, and I wasn¹t surprised at all by the actions that they took to help the gentleman,² said Aresta, who joined McDonald and Deputy Mayor James J. Callahan in honoring his officers. ³[They] are some of the best officers that I have ever worked with, and I¹m very happy that they received the awards.²
Comments about this story? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
