Man hit firefighter with car during gas leak in Cumberland County, deputies say

A man is in jail after deputies say he hit a firefighter with his car on Thursday in Cumberland County.

2025-05-30

According to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, while firefighters with the Pearce’s Mill Fire Department were responding to a gas leak around 3:48 p.m. on Legion Road near Ireland, a driver attempted to drive down the road.

After a firefighter told the man he couldn’t drive down the road for safety reasons, the driver, later identified as 26-year-old Ramon Bonilla-Soto Jr. of Fayetteville, went over the median with his vehicle and hit the firefighter.

The sheriff’s office said the firefighter is expected to be okay.

Deputies charged Bonilla-Soto Jr. with assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, careless and reckless driving, driving over the concrete median, driving while license revoked and failure to obey a traffic control officer.

Bonillia-Soto Jr.’s first court appearance is expected around 2:30 p.m. on Friday.