Sheriff's Deputy Gently Cradles Baby Girl on the Side of the Road After Crash

An Alabama sheriff's deputy has been hailed as a hero after he was pictured comforting a baby girl on the side of the road following a car wreck.

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"Deputy Ric Lindley comforts a child at the scene of a traffic accident on I-20 near Leeds this morning," the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office wrote beneath the image on its Facebook page.

After the image was shared on Tuesday, Deputy Lindley, a 10-year veteran of the department, was lauded for his tenderness towards the tot.

"The heart shines right thru that badge," one man wrote beneath the photo. "God Bless him."

A woman added: "Such an act of compassion. Thank you Deputy Lindley for being there for that sweet child."

Other police departments also commended the deputy. Staff from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office wrote: "You're in good hands baby girl."

The image has been shared more than 7,000 times on Facebook.

Lindley was on patrol on Tuesday when he came across a traffic jam and took the emergency lane to see what had happened, he told AL.com. He and his partner, who were the first on the scene, found the wreckage between an ambulance, an 18-wheeler and three other vehicles.

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They blocked off traffic and checked on the victims. According to reports, no one was serious hurt. The little girl and her mother were also uninjured.

Speaking to WBRC, Deputy Lindley said the baby stayed calm when he held her. He said that although being a deputy sometimes requires him and his colleagues to be hard, "we are human beings."

"We try to treat people out here just like we would want someone to treat our children, or our spouses, or our parents," he said.

A spokesperson for the department was not immediately available for further comment on Wednesday.

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