March 31--A volunteer firefighter in Hoke County died Friday when she crashed her vehicle while heading to the fire department to meet a group of colleagues for dinner.
Sarah Stonesifer, 22, of Aberdeen was heading east on Stubby Oaks Road toward the Pinehill Fire Department when she her vehicle veered off the left side of the road, stuck a fence post and flipped, according to the state Highway Patrol.
The 6:50 p.m. crash threw her from her Chevrolet Blazer.
About 10 firefighters were at the station waiting for her so they all could go out to eat in Aberdeen, said Tommy Nelson, the station chief. It was a Friday tradition, he said.
As they waited, a call came over the system about a wreck nearby. Unaware Stonesifer was the victim, the firefighters drove to the scene to aid first-responders.
Stonesifer's boyfriend was in the first car to arrive, followed by Nelson.
Nelson helped get Stonesifer's boyfriend away from the wreckage. Then, Nelson knelt and felt Stonesifer's wrist, hoping to feel her heartbeat.
No pulse, he told the dispatcher over the radio.
"It's one of the toughest things I've ever had to do," Nelson said.
The exact cause of the wreck is unknown.
Following Friday's dinner outing, the group of firefighters had planned to hunt raccoons, Nelson said. It was a favorite pastime of Stonesifer's.
She was a "good country girl" who had her own hunting dogs, Nelson said.
The department plans to give Stonesifer full firefighter's honors at her funeral, Nelson said.
Visitation for Stonesifer will be Monday from noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines. The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Staff writer Staff writer John Ramsey can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3574.
Copyright 2013 - The Fayetteville Observer, N.C.
