By Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A Gaston County “good Samaritan” was fatally injured when she was stopped to help at a multi-vehicle crash in Florida, according to investigators.
It happened just after 12 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, on Interstate 95 near Mims, Florida, and involved five vehicles, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Gaston County EMS reports paramedic Mary Jolly, 27, died at a Florida hospital shortly after 11 a.m. Monday. She lived in Dallas, according to the crash report.
“This tragedy is a powerful reminder of the selflessness and courage our team members embody, not only while on duty but in their personal lives as well,” Gaston County EMS wrote in a Nov. 15 Facebook post.
“Mary was more than a colleague — she was family. Her compassion, unwavering dedication, and steady presence touched countless lives and strengthened the very fabric of our EMS community. Her loss is immeasurable.”
The series of crashes began when a northbound driver from Port St. Lucie changed lanes on Interstate 95 and collided with another vehicle, the Florida Highway Patrol says.
One of the vehicles was left disabled in traffic, resulting in a second crash that killed the 33-year-old Port St Lucie man as he stood in traffic, officials said.
Jolly was in the center lane offering assistance when she was hit by a fifth vehicle, driven by a 30-year-old man from Coronado, Florida, officials said.
She was airlifted to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in critical condition and died two days later, officials said.
Mims Florida is about a 45-mile drive northeast from Orlando.
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