CANTON — Stark County Sheriff George T. Maier and Canton police officer Jeff Hothem were nearby when a car rolled down an embankment and into a muddy creek Thursday, officials said.
Maier jumped into the cold water to free two young children in the back seat of the car, officials said.
The children were in the back seat of a 4-door sedan that had been parked — engine off, keys out of the ignition — in a nearby lot, authorities said. It’s unclear how, but the car slipped into gear, rolling backward into the creek.
Photos authorities released show the car in the creek on an angle, on of its front wheels on the grassy bank and its three other wheels in the water.
The creek only reached half way up the hub cap on of one of the back wheels. But on the other side of the car, the water appears to reach as high as the rear door window.