A man was found alive after a serious car accident thanks to an alert off-duty Aberdeen police officer.
Early Saturday morning while traveling home, officer Jesse James Smith spotted something unusual off the side of U.S. Highway 1 in front of N.C. State Equine Health Center near Vass.
There was a broken fence and a wrecked car in the woods. The Smith immediately pulled over to investigate and found a man still inside the car who was conscious.
The Mercedes sedan was heavily damaged but cold to the touch indicating it had been there for an extended period of time. Emergency units were dispatched to the scene and got the man out of the car.Â
EMS evaluated him, and air care was requested but a short time later had to decline due to weather, so he was transported to Moore Regional Hospital.
According to authorities on the scene, the driver had been traveling north on U.S. Highway 1 when he went off the road at a curve at the intersection with North May Street.
The car went over 600 feet while crashing through a fence in two different places before slamming into a tree head-on.
The impact ripped the front passenger wheel off the car and left wire from the fence wrapped around a large tree that the car had hit.
The man’s condition is unknown at this time.
Highway Patrol was on scene and is investigating the accident.
Responding to the scene were the Southern Pines Fire Department, Moore County EMS, Moore County Sheriff’s Office and N.C. Highway Patrol.
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Daniel Gwyn.