Featured image of Maurice Burton provided to TVL by NCC.

BETHLEHEM, PA – The ABC Network recently featured Northampton Community College (NCC) alum and Palmer Township police officer, Maurice Burton, in an episode of Hearts of Heroes. The program, which aired this summer, described how Burton, his Palmer Township police squad, and local firefighters rescued a young man trapped in a burning car in May 2022.

During his evening-shift last May, the police dispatcher announced, “We have a two-vehicle MVA (motor vehicle accident) near the intersection of Main Street and Van Buren Road. Unknown injuries. Multiple calls received. Will get more details.” When additional details came in, him and his fellow officers heard that one car was on fire, and one of the drivers was still in the car.

“We all ran to our cruisers, and like a train with one car immediately behind the other, we raced to the scene as fast as we could,” Burton said. “When we arrived, we saw a red Volkswagen Jetta had collided with a dark-colored Mercedes SUV. A red glow radiated from underneath the Jetta.”

As the road went from four to two lanes, the Jetta driver lost control and traveled into the eastbound lane, hitting the SUV head-on. The car slid off the road. Embedded into a bank, the driver’s door would not open.

Burton’s fellow officer was attempting to put out the fire with an extinguisher while another grabbed a Halligan bar, a crowbar-like tool, from his cruiser. Burton along with the others tried to pry open the passenger side door. But the crash’s impact jammed the door shut.

Additional first responders arrived in their personal vehicles, and together, they managed to pry the door open. Between the heavy smoke that filled the car and the darkness of night, they couldn’t determine if the driver was alive. He hadn’t made a sound.

“Two thoughts kept rotating in my head,” Burton said. “Is he still breathing, and is the car going to explode?” While attempting to rescue the driver, the fire had first come through the steering column, then was visible on the floorboards, and now was licking the ceiling and dashboard at the top and bottom of the windshield. The fire truck had not yet arrived.

The first responders were finally able to pull the driver out and onto a stretcher. The young man moaned, confirming he was alive. They loaded him into the awaiting ambulance as quickly as possible.

Burton entered law enforcement because he wanted to help people, and the rescue affirmed his decision – a lifelong dream. As a child, he had seen The Fugitive, and Burton wanted to be a U.S. Marshal like Tommy Lee Jones’ character in the movie.

In 2006 he enrolled in Northampton Community College’s criminal justice program, attending part-time and working. He graduated in 2011 and applied for various jobs, but his bought with colon cancer thwarted his efforts. While waiting for medical clearance to work as an officer, he enrolled in Lackawanna College’s Police Academy to receive the Act 120 certification required by many police departments. He found the curriculum relatively easy due to what he had learned at NCC.

Running late for his son’s baseball game one day, he wore his police academy uniform to the game. Another father at the game told Burton he was a Palmer Township police officer, and the municipality had an opening. Burton applied, and the township hired him.

Since then, Burton has continued developing his skills and is now the defensive tactic instructor. He has obtained accreditation in accident reconstruction and taser instruction. Burton encourages everyone to pursue their career dreams despite obstacles.

“I’m so glad that I didn’t let setbacks deter me from becoming a police officer,” he said. “I will continue to educate myself and grow in this profession.”

 

About Northampton Community College
With an enduring commitment to the regional community it serves and a focus on student success, Northampton Community College has developed a reputation as an institution of extraordinary distinction, earning accolades at the state and national levels for innovative programs, outstanding faculty and impressive student achievements. It counts among its successful alumni a four-time Pulitzer Prize winner and an Academy Award winning director as well as a host of CEOs, presidents, and leaders of business and industry. Today, Northampton Community College has locations in Bethlehem, Southside Bethlehem, and Monroe County, serving 30,000 students each year from 53 counties, 42 countries and 25 states. For more information, or to apply, please visit www.northampton.edu. Follow NCC’s President on Twitter @NCCPresDaveRuth, and follow the College on TikTok @NorthamptonCC and on Instagram @NorthamptonCommCollege. Like us on Facebook at Northampton Community College.