A father and son duo pulled off a bold rescue after hearing about a high-speed accident involving a trooper on a police scanner.
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According to WBTV, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office is thanking Curtis Blanton and his 17-year-old son, Pete, for their bravery. Sheriff Alan Norman explains that a Deputy, Robert Taylor, was pursuing four suspects in an armed robbery.
A high-speed chase ensued. Unfortunately, Taylor's patrol car struck a tree head-on. The crash was so severe the vehicle burst into flames, with the deputy badly injured inside. In a stroke of luck, the Blantons were at home nearby, listening to a police scanner.
Interestingly, it is legal to listen to police scanners in the USA, although there are a few restrictions on their usage. It is a crime to listen to these scanners in some other parts of the world.
After hearing about the crash, the Blantons sprung into action and quickly drove to the crash site. The pair found Taylor incapacitated on the ground outside the vehicle and pulled him away from the wreck. They also saved the deputy's K-9 unit, Thanos, at the same time.
According to the New York Post, Blanton is from North Carolina. Earlier that day, he said goodbye to his wife of 20 years after a battle with cancer.
When asked about the incident during an interview, Blanton said, "(I) didn't hesitate one bit. They lay their lives on the line for us every day. That's the least we can do for them. We weren't worried about the repercussions if the car blew up or whatever happened. We just wanted him safe."
The Deputy is recovering after the high-speed crash
Despite the severity of the crash, Deputy Taylor is in stable condition and had surgery on Thursday, 9th December.
In a press release following the incident, Captain Justin Etters said, "We thank them, we appreciate them, we love our community, they support us.
As for the armed robbery suspects, WBTV reports that authorities have arrested four people in connection with the incident and one juvenile. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office says the car was stolen from someone in Gastonia before the chase.
