After being released from prison for manslaughter, Josh Tangehahl was hard at work in trying to get his life back on track. Being in prison for 17 months made him realize that a change was necessary. He was working hard during his work release and made sure to keep his strict curfew. However one night, while out with his girlfriend, the two witnessed a terrible car crash.
According to news reports, Josh had a huge dilemma in front of him: hurry home to make his curfew or help the injured passengers. The decision became pretty obvious once he heard a baby crying. Josh knew he had to act fast in order to save a seven-month-old boy named Dante.
The baby was trapped in his car seat. Just imagine being in Josh’s position. Someone who worked so incredibly hard to get back on the right track to suddenly risk it all in order to save someone’s life. It shows just the kind of person Josh truly is.
He told KHQ that once he heard the baby crying, “That’s when I look at the clock and was like, ‘Man, I need to get back, because if I’m not back, I’m going back to prison.’” He continued saying, “The toddler was out of its harness on one side with the strap around its neck.”
He continued, saying “The seat was upside down, so the baby was hanging on it. It was terrifying. And the baby was crying, It’s a tiny baby.” According to Upliftpo, the baby’s mother was also involved in the accident.
The accident was pretty severe because it resulted in severe traffic shut down according to reports. But the child’s mother was so thankful to Josh. She told The Olympian, “I remember I looked back, and I don’t remember if I said anything to him.”
She continued, “But I saw his hat and his eyes, and he told me, ‘I have your baby, everything is OK, I have your baby.’” Luckily The Washington State Department of Corrections fully acknowledged his brave deed.
