Teens catch an unlikely ride to prom after their truck breaks down

DUNN COUNTY, N.D. (KFYR/Gray News) - For one North Dakota law enforcement officer, the call to “serve and protect” apparently includes getting high schoolers to the biggest dance of the year.

In his five years with the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department, Cpl. Tyler Rintamaki has logged a lot of miles on the highway. Until a few weeks ago, he thought he’d seen just about everything, but then, something new happened.

Rintamaki and another deputy were headed back to the office when they spotted a truck on the side of Highway 22, flashers on and facing the wrong direction. Inside the truck were Killdeer High School juniors Danica Mindt and Ian Gloria, KFYR reports.

“We thought it was odd, so we stopped and checked on them. They stopped because they had vehicle problems,” Rintamaki said. “They were on their way to prom.”

As the teenagers headed to prom, their truck began acting strangely.

“The truck started beeping at me, making some weird noises and popping up this caution light. I knew something was wrong,” Mindt said.

Rintamaki knew he couldn’t get the truck running again, so he focused instead on what he could do. The teens were worried they’d be late for their prom photos, so he offered to take some one-of-a-kind photos of them posing in front of two sheriff’s department vehicles.

Then, he offered them a ride in the back of his squad car.

“We just got in the back of the squad car, which I don’t recommend because the seats are really hard plastic,” Gloria said.

The teens snapped a few selfies while Rintamaki drove them to the high school, making sure they arrived in time for their formal photo appointment and creating some memories they won’t ever forget.

Rintamaki says he’s never gone to prom – until now. He adds it was worth the wait.

“It’s a positive experience, and that’s what really matters, to have some interaction that’s positive,” Rintamaki said. “It’s positive for me, too, because I’ve never done it.”

Mindt says she’s glad they didn’t wait for someone to come fix the truck that day. Three weeks later, mechanics are still trying to figure out what’s wrong with it.

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