Dog leads police to injured owner after car crash

Tinsley with her owner Cam Laundry. Photo / WPTZ/YouTube

A dog thought to be lost led police to her owner who was badly injured in a car crash in Vermont.

New Hampshire State Police (NHSP) responded to reports Tinsley, a german shepherd, was on the loose around the Veteran's Memorial Bridge near the New Hampshire-Vermont border.

Trooper Tom Sandberg and officers from the Lebanon Police Department found the canine wandering on the highway, looking skittish and scared, NHSP Lieutenant Dan Baldassarre told CNN.

"They were trying to get the dog off of the highway to keep it safe," he said.

When the authorities tried to get close to Tinsley, she ran away and headed northbound on the interstate. The officers followed and discovered a damaged section of guardrail.

The police then came across a badly damaged pick-up truck that had rolled and saw two men thrown from the car, injured and suffering hypothermia, the police department wrote on Facebook.

Officers noticed a damaged section of guardrail and saw a badly damaged pick-up truck that had rolled over. Photo / New Hampshire State Police

Medical assistance was called and officers learned Tinsley belonged to the driver.

"This was almost like a real-life Lassie situation," NHSP public information officer Amber Lagace said to CNN.

"It's really quite remarkable. This dog definitely saved their lives. I don't think they would have survived the night given the temperatures."

According to Vermont State Police, both passengers were taken to an area hospital. Tinsley did not appear to be injured in the crash.

"She's my guardian angel," Tinsley's owner, Cam Laundry, told CNN affiliate WPTZ.

"It's a miracle that she had that kind of intelligence to do what she did."

Laundry, who was driving the car, and his passenger, Justin Connors, are recovering from their injuries, Laundry told NECN.