A good Samaritan and two NYPD officers reunited after a parkway rescue

James O'Connell was on the Henry Hudson Parkway around 1:30 a.m. on October 6 when a crash turned into a fire. He did not wait on a 911 call. He flagged down NYPD Officers Feliciano Merino and William Brodwell, whom he had seen on the parkway, and led them to the wreck. O'Connell boosted Merino over a barrier. The officers broke a window, got a door open, and pulled people from the burning vehicle. The department said those minutes saved crucial time and more than one life. Merino and Brodwell work out of the 33rd Precinct in Washington Heights.

O'Connell broke his left wrist. He later told CBS New York he would do it again. He said the choice was personal: he has been sick since the September 11 attacks and is being treated for cancer, and he believes every life is worth the extra effort. The officers met him again after the rescue. Officer William Brodwell said moments like that are why he and Merino joined the department.