Search for a good Samaritan goes viral after car crash involving high school senior

MAUMELLE, Ark. (KATV) — The search for a good Samaritan who helped a soon-to-be high school graduate following a car a crash in Arkansas is going viral on social media.

Harvey Shelton, a senior at Maumelle High School, finally received his diploma Monday after the crash put him in the hospital just hours before graduation.

I was driving on my way home, coming from my family that visited me to come congratulate me on graduating," said Shelton. "I was driving behind this white Jeep. They had swerved out of the lane at the last moment. I saw a semi-truck with caution lights on. I tried to get out of the way and couldn’t get out of the way in time.”

Pinned underneath the semi-truck, the front of his car and parts of the drivers side had been crushed.

But he stayed calm -- thanks to a person he calls his angel, a good Samaritan named Darrell.

First, I was kind of dazed, didn’t know what really happened and yelled for help," Shelton said. “He grabbed my hand and said, 'I am here. I am going to stay here until the fire department gets here.' He just kept saying 'I am here. I am praying for you. They will be here soon.'

After an hour, first responders rushed him to the hospital.

Shelton's father, Harvey Shelton, Sr., and his step-mother, Mauzie Shelton, were on their way to graduation when they received a call no parent wants to get.

I heard about it and I actually got a little bit of details about the big truck and right away my mind, just -- 'I just need to get there,'" said Harvey Sr.

Mauzie said she hoped he was OK when they got there.

I didn’t know what to think," she said. "I didn’t even want to think. I immediately just started praying in my head. I was just looking out the window as he was driving and just saying ‘God, let him be OK.' When I got in there, immediately just gave him all kinds of kisses. He was like ‘Mauzie!’ and I said, ‘I’m here, I’m here. We are all here. Everybody is coming in.' I was just filled with so much gratitude at that moment that God had spared his life.”

Shelton said he walked away from the crash with a gash in his leg and 40 stitches but no broken bones.

On Monday, Maumelle High School recreated a graduation ceremony for him and his friend, who was by his side in the hospital.

Shelton walked across the stage to the next chapter in his life surrounded by his support system.

Very loved," said Harvey. "Everybody here to just see me walk the stage for even a few seconds. It feels really surreal and I'm blessed. I love them all for coming and showing up."

Shelton's loved ones said they are just grateful that he was able to walk across the stage.

“For him and for us, it was definitely a wake-up call to life. You know, it was not promised and he got another chance. We are just grateful for that and I think that he is going to take every opportunity to make it the best.”

Shelton and his family found Darrell through the help of social media and he was in attendance at Shelton's graduation ceremony.

Shelton said he is going to continue to pursue his dreams and will be going into the military after graduation.