During a routine trash pick up on the side of the road with inmates last week, a prison guard collapsed.

The crew we picking up trash on the side of the road in Elizabethtown, NC when James Smith, who’s in his 60s, lost consciousness.

At first, the inmates thought James has just fallen over, but when they went to help him up, he was having trouble answering questions.

The three inmates he was monitoring could have taken off, but, they didn’t. They grabbed the guard’s phone and promptly called 911.

It turns out, James had suffered a stroke.

Responding paramedics got the guard to a hospital and, though he’s still recovering, he’s expected to be OK.

The inmates received an award for the quick thinking and honorable actions, which could help them better land a job once they get out.

One of the inmates, named Roy Smith, says James isn’t just a cop, but a friend. He shares that he never considered running off, because, “if that was my father laying beside the road, I would want somebody to help him.”