The Cleveland County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office is thanking a father and son for helping save a deputy and sheriff’s dog after a fiery crash Wednesday night.
Sheriff Alan Norman said Deputy Robert Taylor was pursuing four armed robbery suspects in a high-speed chase when his patrol car hit a tree head-on. Taylor was badly injured, and his patrol vehicle quickly went up in flames, WBTV reports.
Not far from the crash, Curtis Blanton and his 17-year-old son, Pete, were home listening to a police scanner. They drove to the scene, and found Deputy Taylor on the ground outside his vehicle, unable to move.
The Blanton’s pulled Taylor away from the burning vehicle, and rescued K-9 Thanos, as well.
Captain Justin Etters, patrol commander with the sheriff’s office said Deputy Taylor had surgery on Thursday, is in good spirits, and in stable condition.