Jefferson County sheriff's deputy comforts child after crash on I-20 near Leeds
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Alabama -- A car accident can be traumatizing for anyone, especially for an infant or toddler.
A child who was involved in a crash on Interstate 20 near Leeds found comfort in the arms of Deputy Ric Lindley of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. A photo of Lindley holding the child was shared on social media, and it has since gone viral.
"There was a lady getting out of the car, and she had a small infant with her, and so I went to talk to her and she was shaken up, that's understandable," Lindley said. "And so I asked if I could hold the baby while she composed herself."
Lindley, a father of three and a "Pop" to his 12-year-old granddaughter, said his experiences as a parent trained him for today's heartwarming encounter with the child. (Here's a fun fact about Lindley: He delivered two of his three sons himself!)
"We can be hard sometimes, that's just the nature of the beast, but at other times, we're not machines, we're not computers, we are human beings," he said. "We have feelings and we try to treat people out here just like we would want someone to treat our children or our spouses or our parents."
Lindley was quick to credit his partner for his help at the crash scene.
"If it wasn't for Deputy Tim Sanford, we wouldn't be standing here."
One of ABC 33/40's followers on Facebook shared the following comment after seeing the touching photo:
"This is what most officers are made of. Thank you for your everyday work and thank you for your kind heart.. May God bless you and may God also watch all that was in the accident!!"
Another viewer said, "Awww that's absolutely beautiful! That's a papa right there!"
Authorities said mulitple vehicles, including an ambulance and 18-wheeler, were involved in the wreck.
