Little hero. (The Goodness of America).

On Thanksgiving Day last year, Tammy Adams-Hill, 28, and her three children (Titus, 7, Tiffany, 4, and Tierra, 1) were returning to their home in Galeton, Colorado, after spending the day with relatives. But when Mrs. Adams-Hill unbuckled her seatbelt to reach for a cell phone that Titus Adams (who just finished talking to his dad) was trying to hand her from the back seat, their truck veered out of control. The vehicle rolled at least twice before coming to rest in a muddy field.

The children, secured in safety seats, were largely unscathed. But Mrs. Adams-Hill was thrown from the vehicle and knocked unconscious. She suffered extensive injuries, including a broken back and collar bone, a concussion, and 10 broken ribs.

In the blink of an eye, the responsibility for coping with a major crisis fell on Titus' small shoulders. He checked to see if his sisters were alright (they were), then noticed that his mother was missing. As reported by Denver's Rocky Mountain News, he told Tiffany "not to let Tierra cry. I promised her I'd be back after I got some help." Then, "I tried to open the door, but it was kind of squished closed, so I jumped out the window."

As described by Rocky Mountain News reporter Melissa Knopper, "The little boy lowered himself out the window, landing on a muddy field in his stocking feet. Titus called out to his mom but heard only silence. He looked around the truck but couldn't find her in the dark." He then noticed lights from a dairy farm about half-a-mile away, and in 23 degree weather, without a coat or shoes (he was dressed in Scooby Doo pajamas), he began the trek ...