Good Samaritans pull Guilford County man from burning crash wreck

Two men pulled a Guilford County driver from a burning car on Creekview Road in McLeansville before the fire could take over the wreck, a split-second rescue that gave Lewi a chance to survive a crash that left charred ground, debris and a life-changing injury behind.

Jason Jobe and Joe Fields were the Good Samaritans who reached Lewi first on the 4600 block of Creekview Road, getting him out of the vehicle before Guilford County EMS arrived just before 7 p.m. The car was already engulfed in flames when emergency crews were called, and the scene off the rural road was left marked by blackened vegetation and wreckage. In Guilford County, where Guilford County EMS serves as the sole provider of paramedic-level pre-hospital care, those first minutes often decide whether a crash becomes a rescue or a fatality.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said Lewi was speeding when he ran off the road, crossed the center line, hit a ditch and then struck a tree. He said he does not remember the crash itself. Days later, he woke up in the hospital with severe injuries and pain and later learned doctors had amputated his left leg. He spent eight weeks in the hospital before moving into recovery.

Lewi has since met Jobe and Fields at a welcome-home gathering, where he thanked them for pulling him from the car. He said he is grateful to be alive and is doing better mentally and physically now. He also said he wants to keep going with therapy, follow his doctors’ instructions and eventually get back to the gym, a modest goal that reflects how long the road to recovery can be after a fiery crash.

The rescue is a reminder for drivers across Guilford County that the first response to a burning wreck has to be fast, but not reckless. Call 911 immediately, warn approaching traffic if it is safe to do so, and stay clear of smoke, leaking fuel and active flames. If a person can be reached without entering the fire, get them out and move them away from the vehicle as quickly as possible. If the fire is spreading, do not try to outrun it or stand beside the car. On Creekview Road, those minutes were enough to make the difference between a tragedy and a story of survival.