BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Burke County deputies have released dash cam video of a dangerous crash involving a sheriff’s deputy and a 16-year-old.
The deputy is supposed to be released from the hospital Tuesday night nearly a week after the crash.
The teen’s family told Channel 9 reporter Dave Faherty they wanted to thank the deputy.
The deputy had his blue lights on and was heading to a call when the teenager turned around right in front of the deputy with his headlights off.
The dash cam video shows the collision along Highway 18 north of Morganton.
Deputy Daniel Cobb was trying to get to a home where a man was beating on a door with a gun when 16-year-old Elijiah Johnson turned around in the middle of the highway.
His grandmother said he snuck out of her home and took the car later telling deputies he was going to get condoms.
"The first thing I asked was what about the officer. What about the officer and we didn't know at that time," grandmother Rosa Oxendine said.
Investigators believe Johnson, who did not have a license, turned off the headlights and turned to avoid going through what he thought was license check point.
Cobb, who was badly injured in the wreck, swerved hard to miss the teenager and was more concerned about him than himself after the crash.
Got this video of a crash involving a Burke deputy and a 16-year old without a license. The teenager had snuck out of the house and took his grandmother's car to buy a condom. When he spotted the deputy, who was going to a B and E with blue lights on, the 16-year old turned off his headlights and turned around right in front of him. It will be months before the officer fully recovers. A fundraiser will be held at the Chick-fi-la restaurant in Morganton on June 24th.
Posted by Dave Faherty on Tuesday, June 14, 2016
"That just goes to his character and the type of person he is," Burke County Sheriff Capt. Scott Rogers said.
"He knew if he hit it straight on the side, t-boned it, he would have killed the person so he did the best he could to avoid that t-bone impact,” Burke County Sheriff Steve Whisenant said.
The Sheriff's Office said it will be months before Cobb will be able to return to work.
The teenager was charged with careless and reckless driving and no operator’s license.
His grandmother said he hopes the officer is doing better.
"Our prayers are always with you and we have the utmost respect for the police, and please, please, please, forgive my grandson," Oxendine said.
Cobb’s family said they do forgive the teenager and said they believe what he did was a poor decision by a teenager.
A fundraiser for Cobb will be held at the Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Morganton on June 24th.
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