Shawnee Boy Walks Two Miles To Save Stepdad After Car Crash

A 12-year-old boy from Shawnee is being hailed as a hero after he walked two miles along the interstate at night to seek help for his severely injured stepfather following a car accident.

Jordan Gardner and his stepfather, Devin Gardner, were traveling to Alabama when they got into a serious crash on Interstate 40 in Arkansas.

After the collision, Jordan, who has autism and speech aphasia, left the wrecked vehicle and walked along the highway looking for help.

Deputy James Graves of the Johnson County Sheriff's Office was dispatched after a call reported a young boy walking along the interstate. Upon finding Jordan, Graves noted that the boy was frantic and had difficulty communicating.

"He had some communication issues, and it took us a minute to understand what was wrong," Graves said.

Jordan told deputies that his father was not conscious when he left the vehicle.

"Was your dad awake when you left?" Graves said he asked Jordan. The boy responded, "No, he's dead."

As Deputy Kendall Smith searched for the crash site, dispatch informed him that the vehicle had crashed through a guardrail.

Smith found the wrecked car and, moments later, heard Devin Gardner's cries for help.

"As soon as I came to a stop, I heard a scream for help. I'm like, okay, he's alive. Some relief hit me," Smith said.

Devin Gardner was discovered severely injured but alive.

The car’s back windshield was shattered, the trunk was smashed open, and the driver's side was extensively damaged.

"The fact that the kid crawled out and that the dad was still alive was nothing short of a miracle," Smith said.

Jordan, who walked across four lanes of traffic at night to flag down vehicles, emerged with minimal injuries.

"I'll remember this for a very long time," Graves said. "He's brave."

Devin Gardner is expected to leave the hospital and move to a rehabilitation facility in the coming days.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.