Good Samaritans honored after helping injured deputy in Hoke County

Three Hoke County residents are being called heroes after rushing to the aid of Sergeant William Grant after he was hit by a car while directing traffic outside a school in February.
Posted 3/6/2024, 10:37:27 PM Updated 3/7/2024, 1:58:05 PM

PRIORITY IS TO FILL THE 15

OPENINGS IN THE ROCKY MOUNT

POLICE DEPARTMENT.

>> 3 WHOLE COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE

BEING CALLED HEROES. THEY

RUSHED TO THE AID OF SERGEANT

WILLIAM GRANT AFTER HE WAS HIT

BY CAR WHILE DIRECTING TRAFFIC

OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL IN FEBRUARY.

21ST WR IS GILBERT BAYS LEARNED

THAT THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME

THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THAT

DEPUTY. HE SPOKE WITH ONE OF

THE PEOPLE WHO RUSHED TO HIS

AID, STABILIZED HIM, EVEN USE

THE DEPUTIES RADIO TO CALL FOR

HELP. WELL, THIS IS JUST AN

INCREDIBLE STORY. HOKE COUNTY

SHERIFF'S DEPUTY IS HIT BY A

CAR

>> AND THEN NEXT THING HE KNOWS

HE'S SURROUNDED BY GOOD

SAMARITANS. I'M NOT A HERO.

I JUST DID WHAT I HOPE ANY

OTHER PERSON ON THE SIDE OF

THE STREET WITH A GUN.

>> BUT HULL COUNTY DEPUTY

WILLIAM GRANT BELIEVES

STEPHANIE KENNISON THE GROWTH,

THOUGH, AND OUR LILLY OUR

HEROES. THE 3 WERE RECENTLY

HONORED BY HOKE COUNTY SHERIFF

RODERICK VIRGIL FOR HELPING

THE DEPUTY WHEN HE WAS HIT BY

A CAR OUTSIDE SANDY GROVE

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WHILE IN THE

MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION,

THERE IS DRIVER ACCIDENTLY DID

NOT BECAUSE OF THE SUNLIGHT

AND STRUCK THE OFFICER. DEPUTY

GRANT SAYS KENNISON AND THE

OTHERS IMMEDIATELY JUMPED INTO

ACTION.

>> I FEEL LIKE THEY WERE THERE

AT THAT POINT IN TIME FOR A

REASON BECAUSE ONE OF THEM WAS

A NURSE AT CAPE FEAR HOSPITAL

AND SHE WAS SHE JUST HELD MY

HEAD. MY NECK STRAIN WOULD LET

ME MOVE. STEPHANIE KENNISON

WORKS AT THE HOSPITAL BUT TURNS

OUT SHE'S NOT OWNERS, BUT SHE

KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.

>> SO WHEN YOU GOT UP TO HIM,

WOULD YOU WOULD HAVE WITH IT

SAYS IT WAS ON THE GROUND.

I JUST PRESSED TO GET ON THE

GROUND, PUT MY HANDS RIGHT ON

HIS NECK AND PUT THEM NOT TO

MOVE.

>> SHE ALSO GOT ON THE DEPUTY'S

RADIO AND CALLED FOR HELP.

SHE SAID OFFICER DOWN, THIS

IS THE SECOND TIME GRANT HAS

BEEN HIT BY A CAR WHILE ON

DUTY.

>> I WAS ACTUALLY DOING TO

TRAFFIC AT A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT

SCENE AND A CAR CAME FROM

AROUND A FIRE TRUCK. IT STRUCK

ME ON THE LEFT SIDE.

>> GRANT IS RECOVERING FROM

SEVERAL BROKEN BONES IN HIS LEG

AND A DISLOCATED FINGER FROM

THIS ACCIDENT. HE'S GRATEFUL

FOR THOSE WHO CAME TO HIS AID

THAT THEY GOT THE PLACE AND ALL

OF THEM AT THAT.

>> A POINT IN TIME YOU KNOW.

BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN A

WHOLE LOT WORSE THAN WHAT IT

WAS. NOW. THE DEPUTY'S WIFE

WANTS HIM TO RETIRE, BUT DEPUTY

GRANT SAYS HE'S NOT READY.

AS MATTER OF FACT, HE'S LOOKING

FORWARD TO GETTING BACK TO

WORK.

>> IN HOKE COUNTY, GILBERT

BAYS,

WRAL, NEWS.

>> AS A LESS INTENSE

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT ONE.

BUT I'M SURE THE PEOPLE OF POLK

COUNTY ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE

DEPUTY SERVICE TO THE

COMMUNITY. 40 YEAR-OLD ASHLEY

PEMBERTON, A FAYETTEVILLE WAS

CHARGED IN THIS CASE WITH

FAILING TO OBEY A TRAFFIC

OFFICER AND FAILING TO YIELD

CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY. BOY,