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| An officer with the Butler County
Sheriff’s department looks looks at the overturned vehicle. |
By Braden Moore
It was February 10, 2022. The day started like any other,
another workday at the Benton Police Department. I had gotten a call from my
son, Blake (16 years old), asking if he could cruise some backroads with his
friend. We had a discussion of this just a few days prior and the answer was
no. But thinking back to my times as a teenager and backroads cruising, having
fun with my friends, I caved and told him yes.
I put the police truck in drive and switched radio
frequencies to “Sheriff” to notify them, as well as EMS, to start to that
location. As I am running lights and sirens to the scene of my own sons’ wreck,
my mind is racing. Panic and fear are trying to take over, but training and
experience was standing fast, because I knew I had to remain calm. If I can’t
control my own emotions, I can’t control anything else, and chaos will set in.
I turn down SW 50th and continue into the scene.
When I pulled up, I see my son standing in the ditch and he collapses to his
knees. There is a red GMC Canyon on its roof in a drainage culvert, but my
focus is on my son at this point. I bailed out of the truck and ran to him,
still on the ground. He was sobbing and scared. His friend was with him in the
truck and was still in shock as to what happened. After a quick assessment,
both boys were ok, just scared and shaken.
I was the first on scene and did not have time to take in
the full picture of what had happened. As emergency crews came in, I was able
to step back for a moment and really assess the scene. It was at this time I realized;
I have seen lesser wrecks take lives. I had to slip away, out of sight, and
just let my emotions out. The thought - I nearly lost my son today - ran
through my mind as I sat on running boards of my patrol truck, my head in my
hands, tears of thankfulness running from my eyes.
This was a moment where inexperience and poor decisions
turned catastrophic. Blake had been traveling too fast for the road conditions,
which had deteriorated due to melting snow. The truck hit a wash out and went
out of control, striking a concrete barrier on a drainage culvert. This caused
the truck to flip to its roof. The saving grace here was that both boys were
seat belted in, and the airbags deployed.
If I can deliver one message as a seasoned officer but more
importantly as a father, it is to slow down and wear your seat belt.
Braden Moore is the Chief of Police for the
City of Benton
This powerful story left a lump in my throat. So glad all turned out OK. Seat belts save lives!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story. I always like a story that ends well even though it may not have seemed that way! As parents, we set the example for our kids to follow, and they do notice. I always wear my seatbelt and so do my kids.
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredibly scary situation as a parent. So glad that both boys were OK, because as we see nearly every day, many people are not so fortunate. Thanks for this reminder about seatbelt use and driving at speeds appropriate for the road conditions!
ReplyDeleteIt is not often you see stories like this ending well. What a blessing! Thank you for sharing your story. Buckle up every trip, every time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story. It's important for parents and children to realize they're still learning to drive, especially on different road conditions. Thankfully seat belts saved the day. Such a great example to wear your seat belt and slow down. Two things we all can easily do.
ReplyDeleteThis made me cry. My daughter was in a rollover accident on a country road in 2017 and miraculously “walked” away. Brought back all the feelings of that day and that dreadful phone call.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're kid needs to slow down. Isn't this the same kid who rolled his last vehicle on dirt roads? How about the liability of running "hot" to something outside your jurisdiction?
ReplyDeleteNot all stories have good ends. When I was in driving school, one phrase repeated by the coach tirelessly is buckle up. Details may save life.
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