A grieving man from North Carolina joined forces with his son to save a deputy and his K-9 companion from a blazing car. The incident occurred when the deputy and his K-9 were involved in a high-speed chase with four armed car thieves, resulting in their vehicle crashing into a tree.
Curtis Blanton and his 17-year-old son, Pete, were at home listening to a police scanner. It had been a tough day for Curtis as he had just said goodbye to his wife after a long battle with cancer. They were both startled when they heard about the horrifying crash on Wednesday night, as reported by WBTV.
During the chase, Deputy Robert Taylor’s vehicle collided head-on with a tree, resulting in the car engulfed in flames.
Upon hearing about the crash, the Blantons immediately rushed to the scene. With quick thinking and determination, they were able to rescue Taylor from the burning car. Not only did they save Taylor’s life, but they also managed to safely retrieve his loyal K-9 companion, 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.”
According to Capt. Justin Etters, the patrol commander at the sheriff’s office, Taylor sustained severe injuries in the accident and had to undergo surgery on Thursday.
According to Etters, Taylor is currently in stable condition following the surgery. However, he still has a long journey ahead of him in order to make a full recovery.
The sheriff’s office has expressed their intention to honor the Blantons, recognizing their heroism.
“A lot of love and respect for them and we really appreciate them and what they did,” Etters said.
After the collision, the sheriffs successfully managed to halt the vehicle and apprehend all four suspects, one of whom was a minor.
The authorities stated that the gang had taken a vehicle in Gastonia, a town located approximately 30 miles east of Cleveland County.