When a Florida high school senior rear-ended a sheriff’s deputy’s cruiser in a traffic jam, the deputy had an unpredictable response. Rather than book him, she comforted the shaken teen.
Apart from that, she also went above and beyond her role and accepted an invitation to his graduation the very next day.
Vance then stepped out of her vehicle and approached Quintin who was panicking.
It was an accident, said the deputy; Quintin was neither speeding nor distracted and, moreover, neither driver was injured in the minor collision.
After chatting with Vance and her colleague Corporal Andrea Davis, who also attended to the scene, Quintin regained his composure and extended an invite: would the officers like to attend his high school graduation ceremony the following day?
Keen to congratulate the senior, both Vance and Davis showed up. They took photos with Quintin in his cap and gown, checking on his welfare and wishing him well for the future.
“This is what we do, this is what we live for,” Vance concluded. “We live for these tiny moments where you make just a little bit of impact ... in someone’s life.”
“I love stories like this!” wrote one Facebook user, echoing the sentiments of many. “Congratulations, Quintin! And thank you to Sgt. Vance for ‘humanizing the badge’ in such a special way!”
