GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Firefighter Benjamin Crawford says the accident that could have taken his life was a close call that should not have happened. Weeks later, he hopes his story helps protect first responders while on the job.
For nearly two decades, Crawford has served as a firefighter. His father was a firefighter and so was his uncle. He says he always respected the service and wanted to be a part of it.
But he has been fitted with a knee brace and kept off duty for the last few weeks because of the close call.
“It really opened my eyes to how quickly your world can change,” said Crawford. “Your world can change in a second.”
On August 1, 2024, the New Hope Fire Department was sent out just a mile from the station after a large tree fell on Union New Hope Road in the southern part of Gaston County, blocking it. Crawford never imagined he would end up being the one in need of rescue.
“It was a regular call,” he said. “We go to tree-downs all the time, but it was so big we needed to wait for [NCDOT]."
Crawford said he and his crewmates positioned the truck on one side of the road to block traffic.
“I went back to the truck to get a flashlight because mine had died. I shut the truck door and I heard something hit the tree,” he said.
Crawford said that is when a car came flying from underneath the fallen tree, hitting him and the truck.
“It was way too fast. For them to clear 30 yards from when they hit the tree, that should have stopped them," he said. "To hit me, the truck and to cause the damage they caused to the truck, that was significant speed. I kind of stumbled backward and when I put pressure on my right leg is when I just hit the ground.”
Crawford said he was lucky to have not faced serious injury. He was taken to the hospital and released the next day. He has some bone bruising. The brace he has had for the last few weeks is a reminder the incident could have been much worse.
“It was kind of a gut-check moment. You go into this, and you run calls. You go away from your home, and you wave to your family and say hey 'I’ll be back after my shift,'” said Crawford. “But then your mom and family get a call overnight.”
The driver and passenger of the car were also taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Crawford is urging drivers to be vigilant and slow down around emergency responders on the road.
“These are human lives that are out on the road, trying to keep you safe. We need you to be mindful of that,” said Crawford. “Just slow down if you see emergency vehicles."
In North Carolina, the "move over law” requires motorists to low down considerably when approaching emergency vehicles stopped on the road.
Crawford has been unable to work for about three weeks but is looking forward to getting the brace off, back on his truck, and back to work.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.