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A Harris County deputy was rescued from a fiery blaze stemming from a deadly crash that occurred in Houston when trying to pursue a robbery suspect. The good samaritan happened to be a homeless man who heard the crash and helped pull the deputy from the burning wreck.
According to Fox 26, on the night of Jan. 12 the deputy received a call for an aggravated robbery at northeast Houston CVS. This resulted in a 90 mph chase that ended in a car accident about two miles away. The deputy crashed into a parked black Kia that contained a mother and two children, and the mother died at the scene. The children, aged five and two, were sent to the hospital and one is in critical condition. The suspect left the scene and no arrest was made.
Surveillance video from a nearby convenience store shows the patrol car crash into five parked cars in the lot and catch on fire. This is when Johnny Walker, 53, came to the rescue. Walker is homeless and sleeps adjacent to the Save Mart Mini Market and heard the crash. He, along with two other men, ran to the wreck and physically pulled him from the car to a safe spot. Walker said that all he could think about was getting him out of the vehicle before the car exploded. He said he took him to the store and Walker repeatedly checked his neck, mouth and nose to see if he was breathing. The deputy was breathing, to the relief of Walker.
“He let me know he was alright,” Walker told Fox 26. “I told him to keep his eyes open, keep his eyes open, and I’m glad you’re alright.”
Walker made sure the deputy was awake until medics were there. He also said he remembered CPR from high school more than three decades ago.
According to the report by Fox 26, Walker has been homeless since 2006 and while he often calls his family, he had not been heard from in more than two months. His family filed a missing person report on Christmas Eve. His interview on the news was seen by his family who came over from Cypress to find him. Walker’s sister, Monica Collins and mother, Neal Martin drove around the area to find him, where they found him on a corner.
Walker was thought to have been involved in a stabbing and his family was worried he was dead before they saw the news story on television. His family is now buying him clothes and food while also helping him get back on his feet. He even found out that he is a grandfather.
“I’m just so very thankful that everything’s coming together,” Walker said.