Moneta woman tells story of helping hurt firefighter

A local heroine is sharing her story after helping a Moneta firefighter who was hit by a car.

26-year-old Shawn Ring was expected to be released from Roanoke Memorial Hospital sometime Wednesda, where he was treated for a brain injury.

State Police say Ring was helping a stranded driver change a tire this past Sunday, when he tried to cross Moneta Road, and was hit by the car.

According to police, Dorothy Brown of Moneta was behind the wheel.  So far, no charges have been filed.  The accident is still under investigation.

Meanwhile, most of the time you'll find Minette Boyd in her back yard training future police dogs.  Just like the bond she's created with K9s, she felt one with Shawn Ring Sunday after he was hit by a car.    

Minette says it was the car behind her that hit Shawn, and her husband saw the accident it in the rear view mirror.

The Boyd's can't say how fast the car was going, but folks move pretty quickly there because the speed limit is 55 miles per hour.

Minette says it's a miracle Shawn was alive when she ran to help him.

“He was laying in the middle of the road, and I went over and stood by him, and held his hand,” Minette explained.

Desperate for an update on Shawn’s condition, she posted a pretty powerful message on the fire department's facebook page.

It reads in part:  “Shawn, I was on scene with you yesterday and held your hand and pressure to your head as we waited for help to arrive.”

Moneta Fire Department president Jeff Pauley read her post, and was truly touched that Minette was willing to help a stranger.  But not just any random person, a man out of the car helping someone else.

“That is so Shawn.  He will give you the shirt off his back, he will drop everything and come help you.  There’s a country song about that, and Shawn is that country song,” Pauley said.

“I was blessed to be able to help someone in the community who spends his life serving.  And so I feel like truly a blessing to me be able to come full circle, to help somebody who's a firefighter,” explained Minette.

Boyd says even though Shawn may not remember her face, there is a bond between them.