A firefighter responding to a fatal car crash discovered that the victim was his 16-year-old son.
Randy Peterson, a member of the volunteer fire department in the town of Ada, Minniestoa, was called to a two vehicle incident where one of the cars had burst into flames.
Upon arrival Mr Peterson dropped to his knees when he realised the car on fire was his son's.
"Seeing the car on fire and the rims, I knew [it was my son],” Mr Peterson told the Star Tribune.
"I dropped to my knees. I was a mess. Another member of the crew just held me."
Carter Peterson was returning home after seeing his girlfriend when his car was hit by another vehicle.
The impact forced the teenager's car into a ditch, where it rolled over and caught fire. Cater died at the scene.
The other driver in the incident, a 20-year-old man, was not seriously injured in the crash. Alcohol was found in his system, police said.
“Carter was probably the most cautious driver — two hands on the wheel, and he never sped,” his father said.
The rural community where the Peterson family live have been paying their respects and at a recent football game each player gave members of the family a hug and presented them with wild rice – a symbol of hope, the Mirror reported.
“The community support has been outstanding,” Mr Peterson said. “That is one thing about small towns. They definitely rally together.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of Carter Peterson.
