According to WATE 6 On Your Side, Keith Fritts was driving his two kids toward Georgia for a road trip in August when something went wrong behind the wheel near Sweetwater. His son Taylor, a fifth grader, noticed his father's speech slowing down and a strange disorientation settling in — and within moments, Keith intentionally steered the car into a roadside sign, determined that if anyone got hurt, it would be him and not his children.
A Father's Split-Second Decision
“Taylor noticed I was slowing my speech,” Keith said, describing the moment his son first sensed something was off, according to WATE 6 On Your Side. As his condition worsened, Keith made a choice meant to protect his kids above all else. “I steered us into that sign intentionally, thinking if somebody gets hurt in this car, it's going to be me, and it's not going to be them,” he said.
Once the car came to a stop, it was Taylor who sprang into action. He called 911, and two truckers pulled over along the roadside to help the family while they waited for emergency responders. A LIFESTAR helicopter was dispatched to the scene and flew Keith to UT Medical Center. After Keith recovered, Taylor got to take a seat in the helicopter.
A Couple of Days in the Hospital, Then a Reunion
Keith spent a couple of days in the hospital before he was reunited with Taylor, the report notes. Afterward, Keith set up a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses, and he and Taylor made a point of thanking the two truckers who had stopped to help — though the pair have not been able to reconnect with those drivers since.
Back at the hospital, Taylor's actions did not go unnoticed. As reported by WATE 6 On Your Side, he was honored as the hospital's “Stroke Champion” for his bravery and quick thinking, and he received an award along with a swag bag to mark the occasion.
Why Minutes Matter in a Stroke
Dr. Brian Wiseman, the medical director of the comprehensive stroke center at UTMC, explained just how urgent those first moments are. “It'll start dying within minutes of lack of oxygen,” he said of brain tissue affected by a stroke, per the same WATE report. Wiseman also said that opening a clot-obstructed blood vessel earlier improves a patient's chances of recovery, and stressed that rapid recognition of symptoms followed by a call to 911 is critically important to survival.
The station's report outlines the BE FAST method for spotting stroke symptoms: balance problems, eyes or vision changes, face drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty, with the final letter standing for “time to call 911.” If someone shows any of those signs, the advice is simple — call 911 immediately.
UT Medical Center's Brain & Spine Institute Stroke Center has been recognized for its stroke care, having received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award, along with the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Stroke Honor Roll Advanced Therapy awards.
