Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Florida)
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ENGLEWOOD, Fla. — A firefighter used his fist to shatter the windshield of a burning vehicle Monday and pulled a 71-year-old disabled man to safety.

The man, who was airlifted to a Tampa burn center, was driving a van that collided with a car and rolled over, said Dee Hawkins, spokeswoman for Charlotte County Fire & EMS.

One of the first firefighters on the scene was Albaro Sardina, an Englewood Fire Department battalion chief, who broke the windshield and freed the man, Hawkins said.

The man received second- and third-degree burns on his face and arm, inhaled a lot of smoke and could have eye injuries, Hawkins said. His name was not being released under patient confidentiality rules.

Sardina injured his hand and was treated, Hawkins said.

There were no passengers in the van. The only person in the other vehicle was a woman who said she was not injured and refused medical treatment, Hawkins said.

Authorities still were investigating what caused the two-vehicle crash, which happened about 9 a.m. at State Road 776 and Oriole Boulevard in Englewood.

A medical helicopter took the injured man to Tampa General Hospital.

State Road 776, also known as McCall Road, was temporarily closed to traffic. The Florida Highway Patrol also was investigating the crash, Hawkins said.