Injured deputy in burning vehicle pulled free by fellow deputy, NC sheriff says

A sheriff’s deputy was seriously injured when his patrol vehicle crashed and caught fire while responding to a call, according to investigators in North Carolina.

It happened around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday near China Grove in Rowan County, and the deputy will pulled free of the patrol vehicle by a fellow deputy, officials said.

“Deputy John Stevens and Deputy Mason Doby ... were responding with emergency lights and siren to a report of an 8-year-old child observed alone in the roadway,” the sheriff’s office said in a May 27 news release.

“While responding to check on the welfare of the child, Deputy Stevens’ patrol vehicle collided with another vehicle after that driver reportedly swerved into the deputy’s lane while attempting to avoid other vehicles that had stopped. ... The collision caused Deputy Steven’s patrol vehicle to run off the roadway into a field, where the vehicle caught fire.”

Doby was nearby and rushed to help Stevens, who was pinned behind his airbag and incapacitated with a possible broken leg, officials said.

“Deputy Doby could see that flames were visible through the windshield so, he immediately pulled Deputy Stevens from the burning patrol vehicle, and drug him several feet to ensure that he was at a safe distance from the burning vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Witnesses alerted him that the other involved vehicle was also beginning to smoke. ... Deputy Doby went to the other vehicle, where he discovered the driver had sustained serious injuries and assisted him from the vehicle.”

Stevens and the other driver were taken to a hospital with “serious but not life-threatening injuries,” the sheriff’s office said. Stevens has since been released from the hospital, but will continue receiving treatment, officials said.

“The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the quick and decisive actions of Deputy Doby, whose efforts provided life-saving assistance to both individuals involved in the collision. Without his immediate response and courage under pressure, the outcome could have been far more serious,” the sheriff’s office said.

The N.C. State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. The driver of the other vehicle was charged with “failing to reduce speed to avoid a collision, driving left of center, and failure to wear a seat belt,” the sheriff’s office said.

China Grove is about a 35-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 6:06 AM with the headline "Injured deputy in burning vehicle pulled free by fellow deputy, NC sheriff says."