A sheriff’s deputy in Colorado put his life on the line recently to make sure others were safe from harm, according to officials.
Adams County deputies got a call late on April 11 from the Colorado State Patrol, who explained there was a wrong-way driver traveling in the eastbound lanes on I-70, Fox News reported Sunday.
In a social media post Tuesday, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies went to the area and stopped traffic to keep a head-on wreck from taking place:
There were over a dozen vehicles stopped in the eastbound lanes as the wrong way driver approached. One deputy bravely put himself and his vehicle in harms way ahead of the stopped vehicles to intercept the incoming vehicle and allowed himself to be struck so the other vehicles would not be hit.
The impact pushed both vehicles over 140 ft and into the front of a stopped semi-truck. Thankfully neither the deputy, the driver, nor anyone else on the interstate suffered any major injuries. Both the driver and deputy were treated by medical as a precaution.
Photos of the scene showed the left side of the sheriff’s vehicle completely torn up, with its doors crumpled and a tire blown out. Another image showed what appeared to be a red vehicle with its front end smashed:
“That was an amazing act of pure courage! He was ready to sacrifice himself for others! God bless this officer!” one social media user commented.
“God Bless the officer who put his life on the line to save many others. Not all Angels have wings, some wear a badge,” another replied.
Officials said they were grateful the only casualties were the vehicles, adding, “There is no doubt that without the deputy’s quick action and bravery several vehicles would have been struck at high speeds and lives would have been lost.”
It was not immediately reported why the driver was going the wrong way, the Fox article said, noting, “It was unclear what charges, if any, the driver will face.”