Assistant Chief of Police Justin Durrett, of Checotah, Okla., was driving to work when his truck rolled over.
Country star Carrie Underwood had her roots in mind when she donated $10,000 to a police officer she grew up with after he sustained life-threatening injuries while driving to work.
Going by her married name, Carrie Fisher, the Oklahoma singer behind "Before He Cheats" donated the generous amount to a GoFundMe campaign dedicated to raising funds to help ease the cost of Checotah Police Department’s Assistant Chief Justin Durrett’s hospital bills.
“It was shocking, but it wasn’t shocking,” Haskell County Sheriff Tim Turner told InsideEdition.com. “Carrie is a good girl, a good lady and she’s a blessing to our community.”
Turner explained that he, Durrett and Underwood all grew up in Checotah, which is located in Haskell County.
Their families attended the same church, and when Underwood found success and musical stardom on American Idol, she gave back to her small town by donating to schools and parks and setting up scholarships for local students.
“She gives back to anyone she’s able to give back to,” Turner explained. “Carrie’s been very generous with our community."
Turner, who has been close friends with Durrett since the third grade, said Deputy Misty Johnson of the Haskell County Sheriff’s Office found a rolled over truck on Sunday while driving down a road she does not normally take.
Upon closer inspection, she found Durrett underneath the truck. He had been trapped and unconscious for at least 45 minutes before Johnson arrived.
"Deputy Johnson never left his side until he was transported to the hospital," Turner said. "He’d been there for a long time [with] freezing temperatures, ice-covered roads. Without her and the grace of God helping him, we would have buried him."
According to a GoFundMe page, Durrett has no feeling from the chest down, and while Turner said he is continuing to fight for his life in the ICU, Durrett is getting better every day.
“Justin’s progressing daily," Turner said. "He’s still not out of the woods yet, but with a blessing from god and a miracle, Justin will be healed and he will be back on the road before long."
To donate to Durrett's hospital bills, visit his GoFundMe page.
RELATED STORIES
