Firefighter Responds To Fatal Car Accident Before Finding Out It Was His Son

A volunteer firefighter in Minnesota dropped to his knees when he saw the scene of a car accident after realizing it was his 16-year-old son's car.

In an interview with the Star Tribune Randy Peterson says whenever he responds to a call he always makes sure his kids are home for piece of mind. This time, he knew his son Carter wasn't home.

According to reports, Carter had just dropped of his girlfriend when the other driver ran a stop sign sending Carter's Dodge into a ditch, where it rolled over, and caught fire. "Seeing the car on fire and the rims, I knew," Peterson said. "I dropped to my knees. I was a mess. Another member of the crew just held me."

Carter was a junior at Ada-Borup High School and was very active in sports. "He loved sports. He was a walking encyclopedia when it came to sports," his father gushed. "He had one of those infectious smiles and a genuine laugh and chuckle. He was always a happy person." Carter threw discus, played basketball, shot put on the track team, and played football.

Just before the school's last football game, each played gave the family a hug and gifted them with a bag of wild rice, which means hope, flowers, and Carter's retired number 63 jersey.

This article first appeared on Womanista.com