In emergency situations, every passing second is critical.
This is what went through Darius Hinkle’s mind while he was rushing his daughter to the hospital. The dad drove as fast as he can because his little girl was choking on a penny, and he knew it was only a matter of time before the situation becomes worse.
According to KTVI, Darius was driving at speeds of more than 100 mph. He told the station:
“The first thing in my mind was to get her to the hospital.”
But when Darius, together with his daughter and wife, arrived at the Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville, Illinois, more than a handful of police officers were already behind him with their sirens and lights on.
Darius was taken into custody and he admitted to authorities that he didn’t have a valid driver’s license. He also pleads guilty to speeding but said that he did it only because his daughter was choking on a penny – her life was at stake.
His daughter was treated in the hospital and eventually released. Donecia Pittman, Darius’ wife, went to the jail where her husband was being held, but when she arrived, a woman she didn’t know was already there to bond him out.
“She said ‘I’m the nurse from Touchette hospital,'” Donecia told KTVI.
As it turns out, a group of nurses from the hospital chipped in money to bail Darius out. It was an unexpected act of kindness from strangers, and the father couldn’t be any more grateful.
“I can’t thank them enough,” Darius said.
What began as the scariest and most distressing moment in this family’s life, turned into a beautiful demonstration of a community helping out a family in need.
Watch the report below from Fox 2 News to learn more about this story.