FOUNTAIN, Colo. — Two Fountain Police Officers are being recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty. They were sent to a hit-and-run crash that lead them to show their true compassion for those they serve.
Sergeant Noah Walter and Corporal Andrew Anderson went well beyond the badge and the call for service on a day that a family needed it most.
“It’s always been leave people better than what you found them in,” Cpl. Anderson said.
On February 28, 2022, Cpl. Anderson was called to a traffic accident in the parking lot of Walmart on Highway 85, where one car had left the scene. Through the officer’s investigation, he learned where the owner of the car lived and stopped by.
“The first thing I asked her was ‘do you mind turning on the porch light so I could see you,’ that’s when her son said ‘hey, we don’t have electricity,'” Cpl. Anderson explained.
According to police, the driver mentioned that she had suffered a neurological medical issue that made it difficult for her to move or hear.
“She was very forthcoming and apologetic and one of those things was, ‘oh I didn’t realize that it had even equated to significant damage maybe it was just a mirror,’ which could also be attributed to being able to hear that impact as well,” Sgt. Walter said.
As the officers were interviewing the driver, she told them she was deaf and had a hard time communicating with the other driver. Since she didn’t have electricity at their home, she couldn’t charge her cell phone to call the police. The cops realized the woman wasn’t trying to maliciously leave the scene of the crash rather she couldn’t communicate.
“They did also have up-to-date insurance which was just renewed prior to this which shows that they paid for vehicle insurance before their own electricity,” Cpl. Anderson added.
“That’s when I felt the circumstances that were there, these people needed a helping hand and I gave them what I had,” Sgt. Walter explained.
Besides cash, they charged up the woman’s cell phone, and Cpl. Anderson paid her utility bill out of his own pocket.
“My job, my goal, my whole desire is to help people to help them get the things that they need if they can’t get them themselves, or help others who can’t help themselves and so that to me is why it happened the way it did,” Cpl. Anderson said.
They felt a call to do more than the typical actions of a law enforcement officer.
“Seeing a positive affect and hopefully going to change their life for the better,” Sgt. Walter said.
The woman did get a citation for improper backing which is minimal compared to a failure to report ticket. The officers’ message to the teenage son and his mother is to keep your head up, things will get better.
