Lauderdale Lakes

BSO Deputies Rescue Victims From Fiery Crash

Two Broward Sheriff's deputies are being hailed as heroes after they risked their lives to save two people from a burning car.

The driver of the car passed away at Broward Health Medical Center Friday morning. His passenger remains in critical condition as we learn about the heroic actions of the deputies who risked their lives to save the men.

A Torched shell of a car was all that was left at the scene of the fiery early morning crash along the Two-thousand block of West Oakland Park Boulevard.

"It just started skidding, it flipped like two or three times, then slammed into the pole," said Bernardo Smith, who witnessed the crash.

Investigators say 40-year-old Kenny Allen of Lauderdale Lakes was driving eastbound at an excessive speed when he lost control of the car, striking a raised median and sliding across the eastbound lanes and finally smashing into a tree and utility pole.

"The car flipped. Then I just saw sparks and flames, so I just ran over and I saw the passenger get out of the car," Smith said.

That passenger, identified as 45-year-old Howard Randolph, shares a home with Allen. As he crawled from the crunched car, BSO Deputy Dustin Sisson arrived and discovered Allen still strapped into the driver’s seat. Sisson raced to cut through Allen’s seatbelt and pulled him from the car. Seconds later, the car exploded in flames.

"The seatbelt was kind of wrapped around him so the officer had to drag him out," Smith said.

A second deputy, Jonathan Zinglo, also helped pull Allen from the car and began CPR. Zinglo later suffered from heat exhaustion himself and rescuers rushed him to a different hospital.

Traffic homicide detectives are now working to uncover what caused Allen to veer off the road, as witnesses recount the quick actions of two brave deputies.

"He did it quick, because a second later, the whole car would be in flames," Smith said.

Deputy Zinglo was treated and released from the hospital. The investigation into the crash continues, while NBC 6 has learned Allen had a lengthy criminal history, including multiple drug and driving charges.

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