Anyone who has ever been stopped for a traffic violation is familiar with the feeling of dread that comes over them when they see the flashing red and blue lights in their rear view mirror.

You have to tell yourself to “act natural” even though you know you didn’t do anything wrong when you see those lights, as if you’re being interrogated for a major crime (or is it just us?) when you see those lights.

When Christy Carter saw the bright lights approaching behind her, she knew precisely what she had been pulled over for: speeding. Single mother who pulled over expecting to be ticketed was instead met with compassion and assistance by the police officer on the scene.

Christy was driving her son, Jake, to the Homecoming dance where he would meet up with some of his buddies. Because they were running behind schedule and Jake hadn’t knotted his tie (and Christy didn’t know how to do it for him), they were both a little agitated and annoyed. So, in order to make up for lost time and get Jake to meet up with his pals, Christy chose to roll past a stop sign rather than coming to a full stop on the highway.

Then, Officer Mike Carrill came up behind her and put on his lights to identify himself. Christy was well aware that she was about to get a citation, and Jake was becoming more nervous and anxious as yet another disruption in the timetable loomed. According to Christy, as Officer Carrill approached them, he could obviously see the “stress on [her] son’s face.”

Officer Carrill decided not to issue a ticket after hearing the narrative and seeing the dilemma Christy and Jake were in. Instead, he volunteered to assist Jake with his tie after hearing the story. It didn’t take long for Christy to reach for her phone to capture the scene, and she was taken aback by the officer’s consideration for her kid.

A few days later, she shared the video to her Facebook page with the caption, “A huge shout out to this Park City Police Officer who rescued the day in an odd manner for a stressed-out, sinking-single-mother moment,” and it didn’t take long for it to become viral.

Local residents expressed their gratitude for Officer Carrill’s generosity in the comments section. It didn’t appear that the police department he works for was bothered by his decision to forego writing a ticket because they shared the video and stated, “Officers like Mike Carrillo of the Park City Police Department’s Uniform Section are the kind-hearted Officers who quietly do good deeds for Parkites in need.” Police Officer Carrillo’s efforts have turned a potentially terrible situation into something good, and we are proud of him. “We are grateful to Christy Carter for drawing attention to the frequently overlooked.”

Officer Carrill took advantage of the situation to demonstrate compassion, provide support, and provide assistance to a stressed-out mother in need. It seems that, despite the fact that Christy was not issued a ticket this time, she will never forget the importance of coming completely to a full stop at a stop sign again.