Marine saw car burning in the night and rushed to help driver, NC cops say

A U.S. Marine “jumped into action” and helped save a driver found incapacitated at a fiery car crash, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.

The wreck happened around 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27, east of Windsor, but the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office is only now releasing details due to not knowing the identity of the Marine.

An event is being arranged to “publicly honor” the Marine and two deputies who worked together to save the driver, the sheriff’s office said.

“Lieutenant J. Parker and Deputy E. Topliss, with the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office, were en route to a call for service in Merry Hill (when) they came upon a vehicle collision on Highway 17 near the Wakelon Road exit, where the driver was ejected and the vehicle caught fire,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release

“A U.S. Marine arrived at the crash at the same time as the deputies. The U.S. Marine and the deputies jumped into action and were able to pull the driver of the vehicle to safety. The U.S. Marine used a first aid kit and began providing aid to the victim until the Bertie County EMS arrived.”

The driver was hospitalized and survived. Their identity and condition have not been released.

Eastern North Carolina is home to multiple U.S. Marine facilities, including Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Marine Corps Air Station New River and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

“This post was made a few days late due to identifying the U.S. Marine who went above and beyond his call of duty to save the life of a person with the assistance of the deputies,” the sheriff’s office said.

“This situation could have turned out worse, but God placed these angels in the right place at the right time. After communicating with the U.S. Marine Commanders, I will publicly honor the U.S. Marine and the deputies.”

More than 1,000 comments and reactions had been posted by Nov. 4 on the sheriff’s office Facebook post, many calling the Marine a hero.

One North Carolina woman identified the Marine as her son, a master sergeant, and noted: “He seems to find himself in the situations that test his skills repeatedly and proves what a hero is.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 8:59 AM with the headline "Marine saw car burning in the night and rushed to help driver, NC cops say."