An elderly woman got the surprise of a lifetime when she crashed into a Utah state trooper’s patrol car after being pulled over on her way to visit her sick son.
Helen “Skeeter” Smith, 87, didn’t think twice when she decided to embark on a 350-mile journey last Friday after learning her son was hospitalized in Ogden, Utah.
Utah State Trooper Jeff Jones saw as Smith “buzzed past,” and pulled her over, issuing her a warning.
“He was all nice,” Smith told CBS affiliate KUTV. “Oh yeah, he was just doing his job.”
Free to go, Smith attempted to leave, but she confused “reverse” for “drive” and ended up backing into the cop car used to stop her.
“I put a little dent in his car,” Smith confessed.
It was then Trooper Jones realized the elderly lady would fare better if she was escorted to her destination.
The trooper drove her from Fillmore to Juab County, where she was handed off like a baton to other troopers.
Via CBS affiliate KUTV:
“There, [Trooper Jones] handed Helen off to Trooper Jared Jensen, who drove her to Utah County.
“Jensen handed her off to Trooper Chris Bishop, who drove her to Salt Lake County.
“There, Trooper Andrew Pollard met her in Draper, and drove Helen all the way to Ogden Regional Medical Center.”
In the end, Smith was grateful she made it all the way to see her sick son, who is still recovering, all thanks to the generosity of a few good police officers, who evidently still exist.
“She was very excited to tell me about her dogs, her cat, and her hometown,” Trooper Pollard admitted. “To hold her hand walking into the hospital was very, very rewarding.”
“I ended up taking four patrol cars,” Smith said. “Four good-lookin’ patrol boys brought me.”
In today’s volatile social atmosphere, where police are largely derided for their short tempers, irrationality and sometimes quick rush to violence, stories like these are important to remind us that not all police are the thuggish brutes appearing in viral cell phone videos.
Of course, Ms. Smith’s encounter could have turned out to be much worse if she was not the polite, obedient citizen she is.
In September 2012, for instance, we saw a 77-year old woman get dragged out of her car for failing to give an officer her license and insurance fast enough. As the officer’s lapel and dash-cam footage show, the woman simply attempted to provide an explanation for her alleged speeding. The officer shouted over the woman demanding her license and insurance, fomenting a verbal standoff eventually leading to the officer forcefully dragging the woman out of her car. The officer faced no disciplinary action.
Watch: Alex speaks with Utah State Trooper Jeff Jones on the Alex Jones Show about the agency’s compassionate reaction to an elderly woman in distress, and the importance of balancing out the constant barrage of bad police news with some good.
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