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A North Carolina man mourning the loss of his wife teamed up with his son to rescue a deputy and his K-9 from a burning car after they crashed into a tree during a high-speed chase with four armed car thieves, police said.
Curtis Blanton, who had just said goodbye to his wife after a 20-year battle with cancer earlier in the day, was listening to a police scanner at home with his 17-year-old son, Pete, when they heard about the horror crash Wednesday night, WBTV reports.
Cleveland County Deputy Robert Taylor was in pursuit of the four suspects when his car hit a tree head-on, causing the vehicle to go up in flames.
Upon learning about the crash, the Blantons rushed to the scene and managed to get Taylor away from the burning car, as well as his K-9, Thanos.
“Didn’t hesitate one bit. They lay their lives on the line for us every day. That’s the least that we could do for them,” Blanton told the outlet about the daring rescue.
“We weren’t worried about the repercussions, if the car blew up or whatever happened. We just wanted him safe,” he added.
“We was just out being father and son last night and ended up being in the right place at the right time,” Blanton said.
“At the end of the day, that man’s alive, and that means more than anything out here – him and his partner.”
Capt. Justin Etters, patrol commander with the sheriff’s office, said Taylor was badly injured in the crash and had to undergo surgery on Thursday.
Taylor was listed in stable condition following the operation, but he’ll have a long road ahead to fully recover, Etters added.
As for the Blantons, Etters said the sheriff’s office was planning to honor the father and son for their heroism.
“A lot of love and respect for them and we really appreciate them and what they did,” Etters said.
Following the crash, sheriffs were able to stop and apprehend the four armed suspects, which included one juvenile.
Officials said the group had stolen a car in Gastonia, about 30 miles east of Cleveland County.
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