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Good Samaritan stops to aid car crash victim — and gets his truck stolen, NC cops say

The crash happened July 23 on Interstate 40 near the McDowell and Burke county line, according to the McDowell County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina.
The crash happened July 23 on Interstate 40 near the McDowell and Burke county line, according to the McDowell County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina. Street View image from May 2023. © 2023 Google

A good Samaritan saw his kindness used against him when the car crash victim he stopped to help jumped in his vehicle and drove off, according to the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office in western North Carolina.

It happened Sunday, July 23, on Interstate 40 near Marion, about 95 miles northwest of Charlotte.

“Deputies responded to I-40 near the McDowell and Burke county line for a report of a stolen truck,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“The victim witnessed (a man) crash his vehicle and stopped to help. While the victim was searching for additional persons involved, (the man) stole his truck and fled the scene.”

His truck was spotted “a short time later” by Marion police officers, who initiated “a high speed chase into Buncombe County.”

The driver was stopped when Black Mountain police used a device that punctured the stolen truck’s tires, officials said.

Investigators identified the driver as a 26-year-old from Brevard, North Carolina, and he has outstanding felony warrants in Buncombe County and Pickens, South Carolina, officials said.

He was arrested and charged with:

  • Felonious flee/elude arrest with motor vehicle
  • Felonious possession of a stolen firearm
  • Felonious possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
  • Felonious possession of a stolen motor vehicle
  • Driving while license revoked
  • Speeding
  • Failing to maintain lane control

“Additional charges are pending in Burke County where the accident and theft occurred,” the sheriff’s office said.

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This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 8:09 AM with the headline "Good Samaritan stops to aid car crash victim — and gets his truck stolen, NC cops say."

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Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a state reporter for The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy News outlets in North Carolina. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. 
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