The actions of a policeman have gone viral is a heartbreaking photo. Source: Reddit

After making its way to the top of reddit, the photo has since gone viral and strained the heart strings of people everywhere.

Captured by passer-by Jessica Matrious, it shows the policeman holding the young girl in his arms and doing his best to draw her attention away from the wreckage of the car still containing members of her family, which lies upside down in the background.

According to police, the male driver of the car was killed in the crash while a woman and a child were raced to hospital by air ambulance.

The accident occurred on Thursday morning in the US when the SUV reportedly blew a tyre and the driver lost control.

Police said the driver as well as others in the car were not wearing their seatbelt.

Ms Matrious, who was behind the SUV when it crashed, said, “they took an extreme sharp right turn and just immediately started to roll.”

“I pulled over, obviously, and started running to the field to see what I could do,” she told local media.

Since being uploaded to reddit a day ago, the photo has received nearly 3,700 comments and ignited heartfelt discussions, with many people praising the officer’s actions.

“As someone who has been in a similar situation, I can say that the actions of the officer could be incredibly helpful to this child. One second you’re just a passenger in a vehicle, the next there’s shattered glass, screaming, horns ... it’s terrifying,” wrote one user.