An off-duty Wareham police officer pulled the driver of a burning vehicle to safety after the driver nearly missed the officer and struck a bridge abutment on June 12, 2024.

Attendees of the Oct. 28 Town Meeting and the Select Board thanked Lt. John Gerard for his actions during the incident.

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said Gerard will receive the Lifesaving Medal award from the Massachusetts state police.

Gerard said a civilian helped him pull the individual from the burning vehicle.

“I wasn’t looking for recognition when I did it.” Gerard said. “It’s just one of those things that happened.”

Select board members and attendees of the meeting applauded Gerard.

“This is what our officers do when they’re off duty,” Sullivan said. “So you can imagine what they do on duty.”