'Officer down:' Three heroes rush to help deputy who had been struck by a car

Three Hoke County residents are being called heroes after rushing to the aid of Sergeant William Grant after he was hit by a car while directing traffic outside a school in February.

Hoke County Deputy William Grant had just been hit, when the next thing he knew he was surrounded by three good Samaritans. Their names are Stephanie Kinnison, Rigoberto and Arely Luviano. But he just calls them his heroes.

The three were recently honored by Hoke County Sheriff Roderick Virgil for their heroic act outside Sandy Grove Elementary School.

"I am not a hero. I just did what I hope any other person on the side of the street would have done," said Kinnison.

Roderick Virgik, the Hoke County Sheriff, says Grant was in the middle of an intersection. The driver didn't see him because of the glare coming from sunlight and struck him accidentally. Ashley Pemberton, 40, of Fayetteville, was charged with failure to obey a traffic officer and failure to yield causing serious injury.

Deputy Grant says Kinnison and the others immediately jumped into action.

"I feel like they were there at that appointed time for a reason," he said. "Because one of them was a nurse at Cape Fear Hospital, and she was amazing. She just held my head and my neck straight. Wouldn't let me move."

Kinnison works at the hospital – but it turns out she's not a nurse. Still, she knew exactly what to do.

"As soon as I seen him, he was on the ground. I just rushed to him. Got on the ground, put my hands right on his neck and told him not to move," she recalled.

She also got on the deputy's radio and called for help.

"Officer down," she said.

This is the second time Grant has been hit by a car while on duty.

"I was actually directing traffic at a traffic accident scene, and a car came from around a fire truck and struck me on the left side," he said.

Grant is recovering from several broken bones in his leg and a dislocated finger from this accident. He's grateful for those who came to his aid.

"I thank God for placing all of them at that appointed time. It could have been a whole lot worse than what it was," he said.

Now, his wife wants him to retire. But he says he's not going to. In fact, he's looking forward to getting back to work.