A Marine with local ties was killed in Maryland this week when he pulled over to help a motorist on the highway.
According to reports, police say Marine Cpl. William Ferrell, 21, of Carthage, NC, had stopped to assist a disabled vehicle along the northbound side of U.S. Highway 15 in Thurmont, Maryland around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Cpl. Ferrell was standing outside his Nissan truck in the rain when a passing car hauler struck him.
Witnesses on scene told reporters that the tractor-trailer that hit the Marine stopped briefly after the accident – for about three minutes – before driving off.
Cpl. Ferrell was stationed at the Naval Support Facility in Thurmont. His parents, Dan and Donna Ferrell, are originally from Harnett County, but now live Carthage. His uncle, Freddy Frye, a Lillington native, said Thursday that Cpl. Ferrell was a young hero.
“He was exactly like what you’ve probably read in all those national reports,” he said. “He was a selfless, giving young man. He was always helping somebody. That wasn’t the first time he had pulled over to help someone stranded on the highway.”
Mr. Frye said his nephew, a volunteer firefighter in Moore County, skipped the parties when he was home from the Marines.
“He didn’t go out and party or anything like that. He went back to the fire department or helped with the sheriff’s office. That’s what he wanted to be after the Marines – a Moore County deputy,” he explained.
“Everybody is just grief stricken,” added Mr. Frye about the family. “It’s an absolute shock, but he was a Christian and we know he’s with the Lord. He died doing what he loved – helping people.”
Maryland State Police say they’re looking for a heavy-duty pickup truck or tractor-trailer towing a car-hauler trailer that sustained heavy damage to its right front.
Those with information about the crash can contact Maryland State Police at (301) 600-4151. Courtesy The Daily Record
