When you see police lights flashing in your rearview mirror, you’re probably already calculating how much that ticket you’re about to get is going to cost you. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that getting pulled over for a traffic stop is one of the worst things that could happen.

For Rhonda McArthur, it turned out to be one of the best things. The panicked mom was caught running a red light as she sped down the road, prompting Officer Nick Mitchell of the Rockwood Police Department in Michigan to pull her over.

She was terrified and running on adrenaline, but not because of the traffic stop. According to Ms. McArthur, when he approached her car, he didn’t request the usual:

“He didn’t ask for my driver’s license and registration. He looked at him (my son) and asked, ‘Is he okay?'”

He wasn’t. McArthur’s 10-year-old son, Nicholas, was having a major asthma attack that threatened his life. She was speeding to get to the hospital, and to make matters worse, her gas tank was on empty with only a few miles left. Officer Mitchell swung into action and called for ambulance.

But there weren’t any available to take the call, so he too became worried:

“No one had one available, so I was getting a little scared for the kid. And so a decision was made to put the child in the police car.”

He put the family in the back seat of his patrol car and waited for a fire rescue team to arrive. Once they did, a firefighter stayed in the back with McArthur and her son, keeping him on oxygen while the officer quickly drove to the hospital.

Thankfully, doctors were able to stabilize Nicholas. If not for the swift action and instincts of the officer, it’s possible he could have suffered a worse fate. In an interview with Detroit’s WXYZ, Officer Mitchell said he was worried for the kid and he’s glad that he ended up being okay.

Without enough gas in the car, there’s no telling if Nicholas and his mom would have made it all the way to hospital. There were definitely two heroes on that road that day: Officer Mitchell and the firefighter. Doctors suspect that had it not been for their quick actions, it’s uncertain if Nicholas would have pulled through the way he did.

In a phone call to WXYZ, Ms. McArthur expressed her gratitude to the officer for his intervention in helping her and her son. She also believed divine intervention was at work here too, as she never would have thought a traffic stop could wind up saving her son’s life. Officer Mitchell’s compassion and heroics renewed her faith.

Just think: life-threatening emergency, no gas, no ambulance, and little time. He totally turned this horrible situation around for this family! Check out this video to hear more from Officer Nick Mitchell on what prompted him to make his decision.

What are your thoughts on this mom’s story? Have you ever experienced something like this during an emergency?