Here's a little tip for you: If flames erupt beneath you as you're driving your car, try not to lock the doors. In fact, the opposite action would be apropos: Unlock them. Take your seatbelt off. Get out. Stuff like that. Basic.

Cops indicate a woman locked her doors and froze up as her Dodge Caravan started to burn this morning in Hollywood. Luckily for her officers were nearby.

It happened …

… about 7:30 a.m. near Santa Monica Boulevard and Western Avenue in Hollywood.


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Officers Michael Kim and Jimmy Lam happened to be nearby helping out with the aftermath of a hit-and-run, according to an LAPD statement.

Kim spotted the van start to smoke up and went to check it out. Lam followed.

The LAPD:

The van's driver was unaware and confused about the Officer's actions and could not hear them giving her directions to get out, because the windows were closed. Officer Lam and Kim began pounding on the windows to alert the driver to the danger, but overwhelmed and confused the driver accidentally locked herself in the car, preventing Officer's from getting to her.

They finally got her to unlock the doors, but then her seatbelt wouldn't release, so Kim used his LAPD-issue self-bought pocketknife to cut her out.

Then Lam saw a child seat in the rear of the van and made a move for it, fearing a kid was inside (luckily that wasn't the case).

The woman said she had problems with the van and smelled gas before it erupted.

The officers also helped put the fire out with their own LAPD extinguishers.

No injuries were reported. Lucky lady.

[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]

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