"This is going to hurt," Cumberland County, NC, Firefighter said Just Before Getting Hit by Car

    May 9, 2025
    A dash cam caught Cotton Firefighter Waymon Hudson being hit by a car last week at a crash scene.

    Cotton Firefighter Waymon Hudson knows just how lucky he is to have a future.

    He was at a crash scene last week with his fire department when things took a horrible turn.

    "I looked at the car and I remember saying 'this is going to hurt,'" Hudson told WRAL. 

    Fellow responders rushed to his side to help. 

    "I saw the sky, the road and I was laying down on the road looking at everyone looking down on me."

    He suffered broken ribs and has a long road to recovery. 

    "Another foot over and I probably wouldn't be having this conversation."

    The driver was cited for not having a license and failure to reduce speed. In addition to Hudson, the car also hit a fire truck and another vehicle. 

    State law requires drivers to move over when an emergency vehicle is stopped on the road.

    "This was completely preventable. A lot of lives could have been lost here," he posted on social media.

    About the Author

    Susan Nicol | News Editor

    Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues. 

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