Hero dog escapes car wreckage to lead police back to injured owner

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By Carina Murphy

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A German Shepherd named Tinsley has proven once and for all that she is man's best friend.

The loyal pet successfully led New Hampshire state police across the state line to Vermont, where her owner was lying injured and trapped by a rollover car crash WMUR-TV reports.

Both occupants of the vehicle were seriously hurt and in need of urgent medical assistance. Thanks to Tinsley's heroic efforts, they received help as soon as officers discovered their truck.

Tinsley and her owners were riding in the car on Monday, January 3, when it veered off the road near a Vermont interstate junction and rolled over.

Though the humans were trapped and injured, Tinsley was able to escape the crash and go to get help.

Lt Daniel Baldassarre of the New Hampshire State Police described how they had initially thought she was a stray when she approached them.

"The dog was trying to show them something," he said. "[She] kept trying to get away from them but didn’t run away totally."

"It was kind of, 'Follow me. Follow me.' And they did that and you know, to their surprise to see the guardrail damaged and to look down to where the dog is looking at, it’s just, they were almost in disbelief," he added.

Police said that they found the driver and passenger lying in the snow beside their fallen truck. They described how Tinsley stood over the driver - her owner - who had sustained injuries.

A New Hampshire state trooper responded to the crash site just across the state line late on Monday. They were joined by police from the nearby city of Lebanon.

Shortly afterward, Vermont State Police also arrived on the scene.

Lebanon, N.H. Police Chief Phillip Roberts told WBTS that officers were amazed by the dog's response.

"We’ve had, you know, a lot of amazing stories with our trained K-9s and stuff, but not for just a household pet to lead you down that road and play a role in saving some lives," he said.

Unfortunately for Tinsley's owner, investigators deduced him to be intoxicated at the time of the crash and have charged him with a DUI.

Featured Image Credit: Pexels/Kelly Lacy