Two “superheroes“ found themselves in need of saving Sunday morning after their car broke down on the side of a New Hampshire highway. Two people, dressed as Wonder Woman and Captain America, were headed to a young child’s birthday party when their car broke down on Interstate 93 in Hooksett, according to New Hampshire State police. A trooper picked the pair up and deposited them at the celebration so they would not be late, police said. “The children were very excited to see the Superheroes arrive and get out of a State Police Cruiser,” police said

Our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Taylor’s family and the California Highway Patrol. Officer Nathan Taylor succumbed to injuries sustained the previous day when he was struck by a vehicle on I-80, near Donnor Summit. He was directing traffic at the scene of a previous accident when a vehicle suddenly changed lanes and accelerated past slowing traffic. The vehicle struck Officer Taylor, causing him to be thrown into the median. He suffered two broken legs and internal injuries. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the following day. Officer Taylor had served with the California Highway Patrol for six years. He is survived by his wife, three sons, parents, and two brothers. One of his brothers also serves with the California Highway Patrol. 

Source:  Officer Down Memorial Page

Here are members of the Florida Highway Patrol as part of a cycling team for the Florida Tour De Force. The Florida Tour De Force ride is a 270 mile charity bicycle ride from North Miami Beach Police Department to Daytona Beach Shores Public Safety Department. The ride is done to honor and raise money for Florida’s Law Enforcement Fallen Heroes. The ride is organized and manned by devoted volunteers and every single dollar raised is donated to the families of our fallen heroes. This ride started after the line of duty death involving Trooper Smith in Miami in 1997. The FHP Cycling Team and their family have been a part of Florida Tour De Force ‪#‎FLTDF since it began. Over the years they have logged in over 5000 miles honoring our fallen heroes and their families. The Tour De Force will start its 19th year on April 11th.

Source: Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy Facebook

Two women and two children were rescued by a California Highway Patrol officer when the car they were riding in caught fire Monday morning in Monterey. Officer Kaleo Clissold happened to be behind the vehicle on southbound Highway 1 at about 10 a.m. Monterey Herald photographer Vern Fisher was driving behind both vehicles before the fire and captured video of the incident. “I was behind the CHP when all of a sudden I just saw an explosion of smoke and flames” coming from under the hood of the car, said Fisher. “The lights (on the patrol car) went on and the car pulled onto the exit but didn’t immediately stop.” Fisher said he could see the distressed car dropping smoking, flaming pieces on the road as it crept to the Bay Park Hotel at 1425 Munras Ave. in Monterey before pulling into the parking lot and coming to a stop. The officer “runs up to the driver side but she (the driver) can’t get out because the door doesn’t open,” said Oscar Loza, California Highway Patrol public information officer relaying what officer Clissold reported to him. As Clissold yelled at the driver and passenger to get out he realized there were children in the back seat, said Loza. The officer pulled one crying, coughing child from the car yelling at the passenger who had exited the car on her own, “Here take your kid! What are you doing! C’mon!” before he went back to save the second screaming child from the smoking car. In the video, Clissold can be seen reaching from the passenger side to unlock the back door before pulling the child to safety. Loza said the children were in car seats. The driver escaped by climbing over to the passenger side and exiting the car. “Come here! Your car’s on fire!” Clissold screamed as the driver walked away from the smoking vehicle. All four occupants were treated on scene by fire and ambulance personnel and taken to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula as a precaution because of smoke inhalation, according to Loza.

Second graders at Prairie View Elementary made blankets to give to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for people in need. “We actually tied all of those,” said Neil Daniels, pointing to a pile of blankets. “The grownup tied to corners for us because the corners were hard,” said another second grader, Ella Jeffries. Every grade level did its own service project; the kindergartners collected bags filled with necessities for emergencies, first grade collected shoes, and grades three through six did service projects out in the community. Second graders did their part in the school-wide service project making warm and cozy blankets. “In case there`s an accident or a fire and it`s cold outside,” Daniels said. “Help other people if they`re in a car crash and it`s really cold,” Jeffries said. “We collected all the fleece and we prepared by pre-cutting each blanket so the students just had to tie,” said second grade teacher Jen Abernathey. Abernathey says the goal of the project was to teach her students a very important lesson. “To show them no matter how young, how small, what age they are, how much money they have or don`t have, everyone can make a difference in our community,” Abernathey said. And the students included a message so the recipients know who they're from. “We wrote a little note inside it and then we tied it onto the blanket,” said Jeffries. “We`re going to give those to the highway patrol,” added Daniels. “When you`re in that situation where you need something to show that you are cared for and loved, it`s very important,” Abernathey said. The school held an assembly on Friday, and some special guests attended to collect the blankets. “We`re honored to be selected to be given those blankets, I think the bigger picture here is the idea that they`re servicing their community, and they`re involved with their community,” said Sgt. Bill Lowe with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

On February 29, 2015 Dwayne The Rock Johnson posted on his Facebook page about a tender moment he shared with a Florida State Trooper below is the content of the post and a link to the original Facebook Post.

“I'm always asked "What's the best part of fame?" Here's a story that answers that..Last week on our very last day of shooting Ballers, my security came over and said "There's a few officers who've worked for us all day and would love the chance to meet you. One of them has a personal story to tell you." I said I'd love to meet them and walked over to say hello. I shook hands with both men, took pictures and they graciously said goodbye. As I was walking away, I realized I didn't get the personal story.So I called back to one of the officers and said "I heard you had a story for me?" He was surprised and turned around and called for him and said "Sure Mr. Johnson". He told me in 2008 when I was taking my mom to get her weekly chemotherapy and radiation cancer treatments, he was taking his dad at the same time - who had been diagnosed with the same cancer as my mom. He said, "You won't remember this but we walked into the hospital at the same time and you turned around, smiled and held the door open for my dad... and you have no idea what that moment meant to him. And me."Officer Arias shared with me that he'd been waiting years to tell me that on that day, after I shook his dad's hand and told him to stay strong, that his dad felt no pain that day. And was once again was a happy man and pain free. Even if just for one day. Mr. Arias passed away from cancer later that year, but his life continues to tell an inspiring story. I'm always asked "What's the best part of fame?" Hands down, it's moments like this. Y'all take care of each other out there and Officer Arias thank you for sharing your dad's story with me. And now the world. ~ DJ” Original Post

 An escaped "unicorn" gave authorities a run for their money on Wednesday. Sandra Boos -- and the California Highway Patrol -- spent more than three hours chasing her runaway pony, who was outfitted with a unicorn horn, through orchards and roads in California, but she says that isn’t even the wildest part of the story. Boos says what stopped her in her tracks was the reaction of some bystanders. “I heard crazy things like, ‘They are real!’ and ‘I didn’t know unicorns were real,’” Boos, of Fresno, California, told ABC News. “I would just stop running and say, ‘They’re not.’” Boos, a professional photographer, was doing a photo shoot with her white pony, Juliet, near the Madera Ranchos, California, ranch where Juliet is boarded when the pony got loose and ran away at around 5 p.m. Juliet was wearing, as she often does for photo shoots and birthday parties, a pink halter with a gold unicorn horn attached. “She moonlights as a unicorn, which helps offset the expenses of having a horse,” Boos said, adding that the pony was a gift to her 5-year-old daughter, Tatum. Once loose, Juliet ran through more than five miles of orchards and traffic in rural Madera Ranchos. It was not until California Highway Patrol officials activated one of their helicopters in the search that Juliet was able to be corralled into the fenced-in property of a nearby house. “They tracked her down with infrared lights, then they’d switch to flood lights and we were able to see where she was,” said Boos. “A friend hitched her horse and rode into the orchard in the pitch dark -- wearing a reflective vest -- and she called out to Juliet and she ran right to her,” Boos said. Juliet was “a little tired and cranky” after the chase, but not injured, according to Boos. The first call Boos made after Juliet’s capture was to her husband so he could let Tatum know her pony was okay. “She was absolutely elated but also said that she was a very naughty pony and needed to go in time-out,” Boos said.  

In a crowded room of cheering supporters Wednesday afternoon, nobody could care less about the world record than Capt. Ron Arthur, except maybe his 9-year-old daughter, Madi. Whether or not he beat the Guinness World Record for most push-ups in an hour was secondary to the money his feat had raised to send around a dozen children with diabetes to Camp Kno-Koma. The night before Arthur's shot at the record, Madi reminded him of what was truly important in the grand scheme of it all. "She said it best last night: 'The kids are going to camp anyway. Jesus is more happy about that then he is with the push-ups," Arthur said, eyes bloodshot and visibly shaken after his attempt at the Guinness World Record for most push-ups in an hour with 2,505 reps. "That took the pressure off." Initially unsure he could even knock out the 2,221 push-ups required to break the previous record, the 46-year-old West Virginia State Police captain from Winfield made only one promise before he began to the roughly 50 supporters packing Robert's Running Shop in Huntington. "Every day is a gift from God so we owe a perfect effort in honor of God giving us that day," Arthur said. "I promise a perfect effort right here. Whether I'm way ahead and going to break it or way behind and no chance of breaking it, my effort level will not change." Finishing a quick prayer as Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit" bounced from the speakers, Arthur knelt and placed his palms to the floor for those first reps. "Here it is," he said. "Let's see how close we can make it." Working in around 45-second bursts with 10 second rests between intervals, Arthur pounded out 50 push-ups within the first minute. The clock rolled, and Arthur's skin grew red and slick with fatigue, his breaths raspy under stress. Eclipsing the 1,000-rep mark just under 21 minutes, Arthur reassured the room he was hanging in there. "I'm warmed up now," he said to laughs and cheers. At the 30-minute point, Arthur had completed 1,408 push-ups, but his fatigue was more evident. His breaks became longer, sweat began to puddle on the ground under his forehead, and he even swapped his water bottle for a few drinks of Coca-Cola. Through all the cheers, Madi's voice calling "Come on, Daddy! You're awesome!" was the only one he really heard. "She knew when to time it," Arthur said. "Oh my gosh, the strength that goes through your veins when that happens." At 51 minutes and 15 seconds, Arthur repped push-up No. 2,221, possibly breaking the record set in 2014 by Carlton Williams in the United Kingdom. He didn't stop. He didn't slow down. Arthur was out to give a perfect effort, win or lose. By the time the clock ran out, his perfect effort totaled 2,505 push-ups. "None of us are perfect; we haven't a need to prove that," Arthur said. "All we can prove is a perfect effort. The only thing I can control is my effort." "Whether Guinness accepts it or not is really insignificant to me." Raising at least $3,600 to send children to Camp Kno-Koma, a summer camp for children with diabetes in the Monongahela National Forest, Arthur's could hug Madi knowing what his perfect effort was worth. "The first 2,221 were to break the record," Arthur said. "Every one after was for her." Diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes herself, Madi said it means the world knowing her father would go to such painful lengths for kids like her to have a happier childhood. "I'm really proud," Madi said. "He never gives up, and he always does everything perfect, whatever he does." Arthur extended his gratitude to his supporters, adding their contributions to the fundraiser meant far more than the push-ups. "We have a great community, and anybody who doesn't believe it needs to come to West Virginia," Arthur said. "Thank God. God bless America." "The push-up record is back in the USA."

Viddie Wallace grew up without knowing her hero. When she was 13 months old, she fell into a bathtub at her Taylor County home. Her mother ran for help, and ran into FHP Trooper John T. Shepard. That was in 1959. Shepard turned her upside down and shook the water out of her lungs. Just before he began mouth-to-mouth, she moved. "She moved, and then she cried, and I cried," recalls Shepard, now 82. Viddie's mother rushed her to the hospital. Time went by after that. Shepard moved away, Wallace grew up. All she had were newspaper clippings, and the stories her parents told her about the trooper that saved her life. She never thought she'd meet him until last year. Turns out, he'd been looking for her. "My daughter got on Facebook at 10 o'clock one night and said mama, mama, I said what...she said they're talking about you on Facebook," said Viddie. "I said who's talking about you on Facebook? The man that saved your life is on facebook...hes talking about you." The two arranged a reunion, thanks to the Taylor County Historical Society. That was last year, but they now see each other as regularly as they can. "He's my angel," she said. "If he hadn't come along when he come along, I wouldn't be here today."

The wreck that closed the southbound lanes of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway on Friday afternoon (Feb. 19) occurred after a pickup truck crashed into a disabled vehicle about five miles from the south shore, bridge General Manager Carlton Dufrechou said. A state trooper who happened to be near the scene rescued two women from the stalled vehicle as it burst into flames. The two women, who were not identified, were taken to East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie with cuts but reportedly no burns. Their conditions were not immediately known. The police officer, identified as Steven Paulus of Troop L, may have saved the women's lives, Dufrechou said. The wreck occurred around 1:30 p.m. after a Dodge Ram pickup truck broke down. It was rear-ended by a Ford F250 pickup, causing the stalled vehicle to catch fire immediately, Dufrechou said. Paulus was traveling nearby and rushed to pull the women from the burning vehicle. "He probably saved their lives," Dufrechou said. The southbound bridge was closed while firefighters extinguished the blaze and workers cleared debris from the span. It reopened at about 2:45 pm.

Things people do in an hour might be cook dinner or watching the news, but how about doing 2,200 pushups? It's a world record and one man with the West Virginia State Police is up for the challenge. Madi Arthur is in fourth grade. She loves softball and playing on the monkey bars after school. She's a pretty normal kid for the most part, except for a few things. "She has to have twelve finger pricks a day. She has an insulin pump with a one inch steel port that gets stuck in and out of her every other day," WVSPT captain Ron Arthur said. Madi is one of the thousands of children in the U.S. living with type one diabetes. Her parents check her levels about every two hours, even as she sleeps at night. "It's not work when it's for someone you love. It's not work and it's not a burden." Now, her family gives back every way they can to causes for childhood diabetes. That's where their love of pushups comes in. Madi's dad is trying to break the pushup world record, all while raising money for kids with diabetes to attend the Greenbrier Youth Camp this summer. "I said well, this may be my next event I think I might be able to break this record," Arthur said. Right now, the world record for pushups is 2,200 in one hour. Arthur will have to do 37 pushups a minute to set a new world record. "The big thing for us is we just want to get as many people here as we can. It's an hour long- to come in and cheer him on," Kathleen Clark, with Robert's Walking and Running, said. Arthur said it's not about getting his name in that record book; his goal is not to be a champion athlete, it's to be a champion dad. Eyewitness News will be at the pushup challenge next week. Donations can be dropped off at Roberts Running and Walking shop on Fourth Avenue in Huntington.

South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers fed and served about 40 homeless people Wednesday at Whosoever Community Church in Florence. The officers said it's their way of giving back to a community that's so deserving. "We come in contact with a lot of people that don't have any place to go on 95, on 501. So, now we partnership with Whosoever Church and House of Hope and we wanted to do this. And I think it's one of the best things for us to do because we could be in that same boat," said Captain Jo Nell, with SC Highway Patrol. "Troopers are very involved in their community whether it's with a church or school, coaching a youth athletic event. We live here. We work here. We have a vested interest in the well-being of the people here. And if we can give back in any way to any group of people, well, that's just helping us build our community, " said Cpl. Sonny Collins, with SC Highway Patrol. Whosoever Community Church doubles as a homeless shelter and provides temporary housing for about 40 people in need of a warm place to stay. Felicia Stafford, 26, makes her home at the shelter for now. "I became homeless really, I say, when I was 18, 19 after I started having my children. My finances weren't stable and I couldn't find work because I didn't have a baby sitter," said Stafford. Cynthia Boan, 53, finds herself in the same situation. She's been staying at the church for three weeks, but has been homeless for the past 12 years. "I've slept outside, behind trash cans, things such as this. Sometimes people would take me in and let me take a shower," said Boan. Both women said they're thankful for the troopers reaching out to them instead of looking down on them. Stafford said, "It's a blessing because not too many officers in different cities gather together to help the homeless people as one. So, it's a pleasure." Collins said they're happy to help others in need. They plan to feed the homeless this year in all six Pee Dee counties, as well as Horry and Georgetown counties. "At the end of the day, we need everything to be better and I hope today made it better for these people today. And we're gonna continue to move this forward, and to help people in other areas of our coverage in the Pee Dee and Grand Strand. And if we can keep doing that I know it's gonna have a positive impact on the community," said Collins.

Connecticut State Police K-9 Arek and K-9 Union are now suited up to take on the bad guys. They just got their bullet and stab protective vests thanks to a charitable donation from Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Arek is a four-year-old German Shepard trained in all patrol functions including tracking, building searches, evidence recovery, apprehension, obstacles, obedience and narcotics detection. K9 Arek works at Troop H in Hartford along with Troop First Class Matthew Herz. K-9 Arek’s vest was sponsored by a fundraiser hosted by Hairy Barker’s K9 Activity Center of Deep River. His vest has been embroidered with the sentiment “Safety from Hairy Barker’s K9 Activity Center.” K9 Union is a three-year–old German shepherd who is trained in all patrol functions including tracking, building searches, evidence recovery, apprehension, obstacles, obedience and narcotics detection. K9 Union works at Troop A in Southbury alongside Trooper Christopher Porrini. Union’s vest is sponsored by Beth DeGroat of Stafford. His vest has been embroidered with the sentiment “In Dogs We Trust, the DeGroat Family.” The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $1,050. Each vest has a value between $1,795 – $2,234, a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States

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Alaska State Troopers helped rescue a hypothermic Chatanikaman from the side of the Steese Highway on Monday night. Troopers responded to a report of an intoxicated pedestrian sitting alone along the highway, according to a dispatch Tuesday. The man was reportedly shivering in wet clothing near Mile 48. AST located 40-year-old Samuel Foster when they arrived at the scene. They say he was in a state of hypothermia and severely frostbitten, and wasn't able to move on his own. The responding trooper carried him to the patrol car, and transferred Foster to an ambulance. Medics say his temperature was recorded at 89 degrees.

For most speeding vehicles, Jeremy Freeman's reaction as a state trooper is routine. Siren. Flashing lights. A stop, and then a conversation. Sept. 15 was different. A life was at stake, and fortunately for the driver of the speeding vehicle and his wife, Freeman was the trooper who saw him. On that day, he was on patrol on N.C. 87 East and observed a red Ford pickup driving well over the posted speed limit. Freeman proceeded toward enforcement action, turning on his siren and flashing lights. The driver yielded and pulled over to the side of the road, jumped out of his vehicle and began shouting, "My wife, my wife," Freeman said. After quickly surveying the situation, the trooper realized the man had been speeding toward a hospital. "I got to the passenger door of the vehicle, and I quickly realized that the man's wife was not responsive," Freeman said. "The husband and I lifted her up, placing her in the truck bed of his vehicle. I ran to my trunk to retrieve my patrol issued medical kit and radioed communications for an ambulance on location." Freeman is one of just three troopers out of Bladen County with a background in emergency medical services. "From there, I quickly checked her pulse and respiration, noticing that she had a pulse, but was not breathing," Freeman said. "I attempted ventilation with my bag-valve mask, but no air was moving through. First thing that popped into my mind was that her tongue must be at the back of her throat. So, I grabbed my oropharyngeal airway device, inserted it sideways, twisted it at a 90-degree turn, which moved her tongue, allowing air to enter into her lungs. I then continued using the bag-valve mask, watching her chest rise and fall." Shortly after, the husband told Freeman that the victim was under the care of a physician, and prescribed morphine. With this new knowledge and his background as an EMT, Freeman asked if she was also prescribed naloxone, an antidote for emergency situations. The husband, a nurse himself, remembered they did have some in the car. Freeman assisted the husband with the auto-injection of naloxone and continued performing ventilation on the woman. By the time the EMS arrived, the woman was breathing on her own and beginning to talk. For his efforts, Freeman's efforts earned him the Highway Patrol Samaritan Award. It's awarded for going beyond the call of duty. Col. Bill Grey, commander of the State Highway Patrol, and Frank L. Perry, secretary of the Department of Public Safety, presented Freeman's award and several others in a special ceremony recently. The awards given included the State Highway Patrol Meritorious Service Award and the Appreciation Award in addition to the Samaritan Award. "The men and women honored here today have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the citizens of North Carolina," Grey said during the ceremony. "I am proud to work with employees that display such a willingness to serve." "The sacrifices displayed by the sworn and civilian members of the State Highway Patrol serve as outstanding examples of the unwavering service provided by state employees," Perry said. Freeman is from Lumberton. He began his career in service as an EMT Basic in Robeson County, spending his free time as a volunteer firefighter at Allenton Fire Department. After a few years of service as an EMT, Freeman decided to continue to serve in a different capacity, pursuing a career as a state trooper. In October of 2013, Freeman graduated from Patrol School and began his work in Troop B, District 5 of Bladen County. "My mindset, the mindset of every trooper, is to protect and preserve everything that I can," Freeman said. "Sustaining life is our job."