By Matthew Hensley
The Laurinburg Exchange
QUEHEEL, N.C. — A firefighter may have been partially paralyzed after his truck wrecked while responding to a call on Friday, authorities say.
Maxton fireman Quintin Thompson, 18, of Red Hill Road was paralyzed from the waist down, according to Trooper D.B. Strickland. Thompson was at UNC Hospitals.
The driver of the tanker truck, Ronald McDaniel, 19, of 208 S. Patterson St., Maxton, suffered “minor injuries,” according to Strickland, and was at Scotland Memorial Hospital.
They were injured when the Que Heel Volunteer Fire Department tanker truck number 1520 wrecked on N.C. 130 about 300 yards south of the Maxton town limits, Strickland said. He said the tanker truck ran off the right side of the road, McDaniel overcorrected, and the vehicle rolled one and a half times, coming to rest on the driver’s side and trapping McDaniel and Thompson inside.
The cab of the truck was facing north while the tank on the back twisted off and was facing west, with the back of the tanker coming to rest at a 90-degree angle to the back of the truck.
The top of the vehicle had to be cut off to free them, according to Strickland.
Debris was scattered about the site.
Strickland said the vehicle was traveling about 65 mph in a 55-mph zone. He does not anticipate that any charges will be filed.
The vehicle, which was worth about $200,000, was destroyed. The accident happened about 3:50 p.m.
Thompson was airlifted from the accident site by UNC Hospitals medical helicopter while McDaniel was transported to Scotland Memorial via ambulance.
"(The department) are sticking with the family,” Que Heel Fire Chief Shawn Phillips said.
He said paralysis in Thompson had yet to be confirmed.
The Maxton fire station is not holding a fundraiser for the injured fireman, deferring to the Robeson County Firefighter’s Association, according to Phillips. He said arrangements for a boot drive are forthcoming.
Scotland County firefighters may also hold a fundraiser, according David Laviner, the association’s president. He said the group is waiting for more information on what is needed before planning an even.
The Robesonian newspaper contributed to this report.