GRANVILLE, Ohio — Through working in law enforcement, Jeremy Wolverton is following in his father’s footsteps.
“This is my 25th year of being a peace officer in the state of Ohio,” Wolverton said. “It’s my 22nd year here with the [Licking County] Sheriff’s Office.”
Wolverton describes how close-knit the law enforcement community is, especially in central Ohio.
“You hear about the brotherhood or the sisterhood, if you will, because of the nature of the job,” he said. “It’s oftentimes a very thankless job. It’s a hard job. There’s a lot of things we put ahead of ourselves.”
Tuesday was a day on the job Wolverton will never forget.
“It was the beginning of my shift and I was leaving the station and we heard about this massive crash,” he explained.
He responded to the scene to help close the road and detour traffic. He had no idea at this point how close he would be to this situation.
At one point, he answered a call from his mother who said his father, Robert, had been in a crash and was taken to the hospital.
“I wasn’t putting two and two together,” Wolverton said. “I didn’t think he had anything to do with the scene.”
Wolverton had a feeling that he should check. He searched the database in his cruiser and realized his father’s car was involved in the Interstate 70 crash; The scene he was responding to.
“I was like ‘Oh my gosh.’”
He said he eventually learned who pulled his father to safety.
“Patrolman Shawn Grimm was actually the one who rescued my dad who was pinned in the car,” he said. “I know Shawn and I sent out a personal thanks to him for that.”
A photo of the maroon SUV Robert Wolverton was driving shows the extent of the damage. The car is wrecked.
“He took the full brunt of that and I thank God he made it out alive,” said Wolverton.
Six people lost their lives in the crash. But somehow, Wolverton’s father survived.
“You can’t explain those miracles,” said Wolverton. “You can’t explain them.”
Wolverton said he feels grateful for first responders and his faith.
“I’m thankful to God because our faith is a huge component in our lives.”
Robert was taken to Grant Medical Center in Columbus where his son said he was taken off of a ventilator on Thursday. He is expected to recover from his injuries and his family hopes to have him home in one week, by Thanksgiving.