Hero NMSP officer pulls Alamogordo woman from burning car

CARLSBAD, New Mexico -- A New Mexico State Police officer is credited with saving the life of a 55-year-old Alamogordo woman, pulling her to safety as her car burst into flames after crashing.

NMSP officials said Officer Edgar Palomarez was assisted by a good Samaritan in the lifesaving effort Friday afternoon along U.S. Highway 285 north of Carlsbad.

A police report indicates the woman's car "veered off the roadway for unknown reasons and struck a concrete barrier" and rolled. It said the "officer rushed to the victim’s aid finding her unconscious, not breathing" and "pulled her from the wreckage as the engine compartment ignited into flames."

Authorities said Officer Palomarez and an unidentified good Samaritan performed CPR and got the woman "breathing on her own." The officer also "applied tourniquets to the victim’s arms to control the bleeding from injuries sustained during the crash."

The woman, whose name has not released, was flown to a Texas hospital in Lubbock for treatment. There was not immediate word Saturday on the extent of her injuries.