Police officer seen in video trying to save man from burning truck in Goshen

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A police officer tried to save a Greenfield Park man from his burning vehicle following a crash Thursday morning in Goshen, as new eyewitness video shows. The video was given exclusively to News 12 and shows the aftermath of the deadly collision on Route 17. The officer is seen risking their own safety to pull the victim, 32-year-old Amiel Maerling, from his pickup truck during a small explosion while the vehicle was heavily engulfed in smoke and flames. It’s not immediately clear what department the officer is from. State police say Maerling was speeding and driving the wrong way when he crashed head-on into a tractor-trailer, which also burst into flames . Wayne Baumann, of Monticello, took the video. He says he was the first car behind the truck that was hit and was originally in front of the vehicle prior to the crash. “As fast as it happened, my first thoughts were that could’ve been me because I had just let this guy pass by. It was scary as hell,” says Baumann. State police say several law enforcement agencies were involved and tried to stop Maerling, who was spotted by motorists speeding and driving eastbound in the westbound lanes in Sullivan County, before he crashed miles away with them in tow. It’s not known what led up to the incident. The truck driver suffered serious injuries but is expected to survive, according to police. "