Deputy Scott Dyke met Westley White and his wife when they were at their lowest.
On Jan. 9, Dyke, of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department, was dispatched to a road in Jenison, Michigan, where the White's car broke down after running out of gas.
"They were blocking the road, preventing cars from getting through, which I thought was the biggest problem," Dyke, 53, told TODAY.com.
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The Whites had problems of their own.
During the encounter, Dyke learned the couple were grieving the recent loss of one of their three children.
When their car died, they were on their way to a pawn shop to get money for gas.
Since the White's home wasn't too far away, Dyke took Westley to get a gas can, which had just enough to get the vehicle started.
"They were still determined to get to the pawn shop first, which wasn't possible," Dyke said. "So I had them follow me to the nearest gas station and gave them money to fill up their tank."
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Once Dyke got a glimpse in the backseat and saw some of the items they were looking to pawn, like a big screen TV, he knew he had to help.
"My heart ached for them," Dyke said. "I felt like it was the right thing to do and it made me happy to see how gracious they were."