Chicago cops rescue sleeping man from burning car

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two Chicago police officers who spotted a man's car catching fire on the city's Southeast Side helped save his life.

Charred debris is still on the street near 79th and Escanaba, where officers Ricardo Gallegos and Syzmon Hypta saw the man's car start to burn. They noticed he wasn't moving, so they pulled him out in the nick of time.

"When we did that, the whole car became engulfed in flames," Gallegos said.

"He started crying before he left and he was very thankful to us, because he realized, you know, I don't think there was anyone else out there," Hypta said.

The officers say the unidentified man, who is not from the Chicago area, had fallen asleep in the car.

They are working to figure out what caused it to catch fire.