INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer is being credited for his heroic efforts after he helped rescue two teens trapped in a car after a driver drove into a pond.
Officer Jared Allen was one of the first officers to arrive on the scene after a driver crashed into a pond Saturday evening on the southeast side of Indianapolis.
Two teens, 16-year-old Ella Magyar and a 16-year-old boy, were trapped in the car and two teens were able to make it to the bank on their own. All four teens are students at Franklin Central High School.
"I just wanted to get out there and get to them. I didn't know how long they had already been in the water," Allen said.
PREVIOUS | 15-year-old girl dead, 16-year-old boy critical, after driver crashes into pond
Allen has been with IMPD for three years and was a collegiate swimmer. When he went through the police academy, he says he did water rescue training.
But this is the first time he put those skills to use.
"I had a rough idea where the car might be," Allen said. "I'm six-foot-six, so I used my length to an advantage. I put my feet down and finally was able to find the top of the car. After that, I did some control dives down, found some openings, and started to reach around and try to find the kids."
He was able to pull Magyar from the backseat of the car, brought her to the shore, and went back with another officer to get the 16-year-old boy who was still trapped in the car.
Both teens were rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but Magyar later died.
"I'm sorry," Allen said. "I did and we did everything we could. I wish I had a better outcome than it did. We did everything we could in the moment."
Despite the outcome, Allen is receiving support for his actions.
"We had some bad press lately as police around the country have, so it feels good to get a little bit of thanks," Allen said. "It's what most of us expect of the other officers around us. And it's what the community expects from us."
Police say the other two teens in the car are in good condition.
IMPD is still investigating the incident.
