Riverside County Animal Services said Officer Marcel Martinez responded to a crash scene on the 10 Freeway the afternoon of April 4.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver was traveling eastbound when a rear tire was damaged, sending the car into a dirt embankment. The vehicle hit a tree and rolled over before ending up on Railroad Avenue.
"A California Highway Patrol officer told me that one of the victims was in the back of an ambulance pleading to take the dog with him to the hospital," Martinez said in a release from the Riverside County Animal Services. "That really stuck with me. I said to myself, 'Man, this guy really loves his dog.'"
Since the puppy, a female poodle mix named Blanca, was so young, Martinez decided to foster her.
Martinez cared for the puppy until her family could take her back. Blanca was set to be reunited with her family on Friday.