Shaq to the Rescue After Witnessing Family Involved in Car Crash

Shaq didn't need to throw on a cape to become a hero and comfort a family that had just been involved in a scary car crash, because he had a different superhero outfit -- Broward County Sheriff's issue.

The NBA legend was on his way to give away turkeys in Florida on Thanksgiving when he and members of the Broward County Sheriff's Office witnessed a head-on collision. Shaq and the deputies rushed to their aid ... you can see him comforting the kids.

After cops handled the situation, they all continued on with their plan to hand out turkeys. BTW ... Shaq was on holiday duty. He recently became an "auxiliary deputy" for the Broward Sheriff's Office. See, even NBA Hall of Famers get stuck working the holidays when you're a newbie.