PARKER COUNTY, Texas — A Parker County sheriff's investigator says he was in the right place at the right time when he helped rescue seven young children from a smoking SUV after a crash on Monday morning, officials said.
The sheriff's office said Investigator Nathan Vick had finished up an unrelated investigation about 10 a.m. when he was driving back to the sheriff's office and saw the SUV in a ditch off Highway 51 and Veal Station Road.
Vick pulled over and found the children, along with two women, trapped inside the vehicle, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. The SUV, which was smoking heavily, had crashed into a pole, and another driver had stopped to call 911 and try to help the victims.
When Vick saw a car seat pushed against a seat in the SUV, he used his knife to cut the car seat's straps and free one child. He then helped pull another child through a rear window of the SUV, officials said.
Vick and the other driver eventually freed the seven children, all of whom are under the age of 3, officials said. Two were taken to a hospital with unknown injuries. Emergency workers also had to free the adult passenger, who was taken to a hospital with a severe head injury. The driver of the SUV was not hurt.
“I would not have been able to help the victims without the assistance of the citizens who also stopped and help,” Vick said. “I’m just glad we were all in the right place at the right time.”
Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier praised Vick for helping rescue the children.
"We believe that excellence is our minimum standard," Authier said. "Investigator Vick's actions are ones we hope to see from all of our deputies."
More information about what caused the crash has not been released, yet.
