Michigan State trooper goes above and beyond for Candle family

Jun. 12—The morning of May 6 was uneventful in the Candle household.

Perhaps it was more hectic than usual because of an early wake-up call, but all else was business as usual.

The family piled into dad's Chevy Tahoe and off they went to Detroit Metro Airport for a relaxing, sun-soaked trip in Marco Island, Fla. Except plans are made to be interrupted, and the Candles' vacation got off to an inauspicious start.

As Toledo coach Jason Candle piloted his SUV on I-275, less than 10 miles from the airport, a hammer in the road became a bigger impediment than Ball State or Northern Illinois. The object couldn't be avoided as light just began to creep over the horizon.

Soon, the rear passenger-side tire went flat, and he pulled over to the shoulder of the three-lane highway, atop an overpass. It was 7 a.m., and the Candles' flight departed at 8:20 a.m.

"I'm going to quickly change the tire. No big deal," Candle said. "Cars are roaring past the three lanes. I tell my wife to call 9-1-1, but tell them it's not an emergency. I just don't want our car to get hit. A policeman pulls up and offers to help."

Quickly, however, Randy Preston, a motor carrier officer for the Michigan state police, realized Candle's effort was futile.

A brake caliper had busted off, rendering the vehicle undrivable.

"I'm upset because, obviously, I thought I could get this done and get the family to the airport to make the flight," Candle said.

It was at this moment when Preston heard Candle tell wife Nicole that they weren't going to make their flight to Florida. Preston thought to himself about the unfortunate situation and sprung into action. He noticed car seats and decided to call his wife, Tanya.

"I knew my wife might have been awake," Preston said, laughing. "She's used to me throwing her in awkward situations, but she completely understood."

Preston explained to Candle that he only lived 10 minutes from the scene and that he owned a minivan. His wife would come and pick up Nicole and the kids and shuttle them to the airport.

Candle, taken aback by the gesture, asked Preston if he was sure. There was a better chance of Candle becoming the defensive play-caller than Preston changing his mind.

"We were close to the airport, for one, but the destination was irrelevant then," Preston, 49, said. "It was about getting a wife with three small children off the side of the highway. I've been doing this for just over 22 years, and I've seen a lot of crazy stuff happen on the highway.

"Flashing lights or not, people on these cell phones, they just aren't paying attention. The last thing I'd want to see is anyone get hurt. I saw three car seats, and I have four kids of my own. It would just break my heart to see something happen."

But the ordeal was only in the second quarter.

When the tow truck arrived, Candle told them to tow it to Toledo. Preston intervened and encouraged Candle to have it towed to Monroe, near Preston's house, so he could pick it up and have it at the airport when the family returned home.

"I come from a family of law enforcement and I used to be a 9-1-1 dispatcher before moving to Toledo, and the response of this man and his wife blew my mind," Nicole said. "I know that people who go into those professions are innately good people who want to serve, but I have never seen anything like this."

Preston acted as if there was no other option, almost surprised that someone else would be caught off guard by his actions.

"It was just the right thing to do," he said. "Everybody can use a helping hand now and then. This was my opportunity, so I helped."

Candle received a literal police escort to the airport, in the passenger seat of a patrol car.

"He was able to show up in style," Preston said.

The Candles missed their 8:20 a.m. flight but were able to get on another one about two hours later, arriving at their destination in the afternoon.

"When we landed and got to the hotel, my wife and I looked at each other and were like, what just happened today?" Candle said. "It just proves that there are a lot of special people in the world and that humanity still exists. People will go above and beyond to help others, and that's what it should be all about.

"A random act of kindness really takes someone to put themselves in your situation to understand what you're going through. It takes a special person. We were very grateful that he helped form a plan and execute a plan."

"You have three children under the age of four in the car with semis roaring by at 75 miles an hour, and you're under the car trying to change a tire. For him to help ease the situation was really an amazing thing."

Despite living in a college football hotbed, Preston does not follow the sport and was unaware of who Candle was until he handed the tow truck driver a business card with his phone number. The Candles brought back some gifts for Preston and his wife, and they received a box full of Rockets gear.

In the fall, Preston will receive the full five-star treatment at the Glass Bowl for a UT game.

"It was just another day in the life of a law enforcement officer," he said.