NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — A Cadiz police officer who was injured in a crash recently reunited with the corrections officer who stopped to help him at the scene.
Hamilton County Corrections Officer Hannah Cline was on her way home from work the morning of Nov. 2, 2025, when she came across the aftermath of a crash in Henry County. An SUV had struck Cadiz Police Officer Doug Barker, leaving debris scattered across the road.
Cline stopped and approached Barker, offering reassurance while they waited for emergency crews, WTHR reports. She held his hand so he knew he wasn’t alone.
“To know that someone I didn’t know — didn’t know me, I didn’t know them — would stop and take care and do the things that they did,” Barker said. “There’s good people out there, and she’s one of them.”
Several months later, the two met again during a ceremony at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office on March 5. During the event, multiple officers were promoted and Cline was awarded the Medal of Merit for her actions at the crash scene.
The ceremony also gave Barker an opportunity to thank Cline in person.
He presented her with a class coin from his police academy — a gift from his two sons.
“One of the things when they came to my graduation from the academy is one of my class coins, and they couldn’t be here today, and they wanted her to have that coin because Dad got to come home,” Barker said.
Cline said she hadn’t expected recognition for stopping to help.
“I wasn’t expecting anything out of this,” Cline said. “I was just doing what I thought any person should do for somebody.”
Barker suffered serious injuries in the crash and was flown to a hospital in Indianapolis. Cline later checked on his condition and said it meant a lot to see him on his feet again during the ceremony.
“She is now one of those handful of people that I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them, and so, it means a lot,” Barker said.
Barker is continuing his recovery and currently remains on light duty while he awaits medical clearance to return to full duty.
