Dad Flips Car, Runs Half-Mile in Rush to Get to His Kids in House Fire
— -- A Maryland father recently went tumbling in his car and then ran half a mile to his house after escaping the upside-down car -- all in a rush to get to his kids after learning their home was on fire, according to fire officials.
Corbin Pettigrew said his incredible journey home to make sure his kids were safe happened this past Wednesday morning when he got an alarming call while at work, according to ABC's Washington affiliate WJLA.
"I got a phone call from my daughter, my 13-year-old, and [she] said the house was on fire and [she and her younger brother] were in the house, so that’s all I heard, and the phone went dead," Pettigrew, 44, told WJLA outside his burned home. "I tried to get here as soon as possible."
Though Pettigrew "was flooring" it, according to a witness who told WJLA he saw Pettigrew's car flip over, Pettigrew said he felt everything for him was in "slow motion."
After escaping the upside down car a little bloodied, Pettigrew then staggered to another vehicle, asked for a ride to his home and then bolted out after getting close to his townhouse in the Largo/Kettering area in Maryland, WJLA reported.
The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department, which responded to the scene, said in a statement that Pettigrew "managed the half-mile run and was immediately reunited with his children," who had been home alone and escaped the fire before Pettigrew arrived.
The department's chief spokesman, Mark Brady, told ABC News today that Pettigrew, his wife and kids were receiving temporary shelter and assistance from a local American Red Cross.
"Though we’re glad no one was hurt and Mr. Pettigrew was reunited with his kids, we do not recommend erratic driving and speeding to get to the scene of an emergency," Brady said. "Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but there was a high chance someone, including Mr. Pettigrew, could have been hurt."
Brady added that the department was "also glad to learn that the family’s home had working smoke alarms," which alerted Pettigrew's 13-year-old and possibly saved her and her younger sibling's lives.
Fire investigators later determined that "a malfunctioning extension cord that ran behind a bookcase in the living room" was the cause for the fire and that the loss is estimated at $50,000.
Pettigrew did not immediately respond to ABC News' calls seeking additional comment.
