An off-duty paramedic has died after she was struck by a vehicle while trying to help a driver injured in a separate crash on a Florida highway.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 27-year-old Mary Jolly and her wife were traveling along Interstate 95 in Brevard County in the early hours of Saturday, Nov. 15, when they saw a man who had just been hurt in a collision, according to NBC affiliate WESH. Jolly got out of her vehicle to assist the injured man and was in the center lane of the interstate when she was hit by a Nissan Murano.
She was taken to a Florida hospital, where she died from her injuries two days later, CBS affiliate WBTV reported. The condition of the man she stopped to help has not been publicly shared. The Florida Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jolly worked for Gaston County EMS in North Carolina, which confirmed her death in a post on its Facebook page. “With profound sadness, we share that Paramedic Mary Jolly passed away today at 11:05 [a.m.] following her injuries,” the agency wrote, adding that she “was more than a colleague — she was family.”
“Her compassion, unwavering dedication, and steady presence touched countless lives and strengthened the very fabric of our EMS community,” Gaston County EMS said. “Her loss is immeasurable and will be deeply felt across our organization and beyond.”
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Jolly had been with Gaston County EMS since 2021 and was a member of the agency’s swift water rescue team, according to WBTV and ABC affiliate WFTV. In 2023, she was recognized as B-Shift Outstanding Paramedic, WBTV and NBC affiliate WCNC reported.
On behalf of Gaston County, Deputy County Manager Vincent Wong offered his “deepest sympathies” to Jolly’s family and “every member of our public safety team” following her death, according to WCNC. “Mary represented the finest qualities of our EMS professionals — dedication, courage, and a commitment to caring for every person she encountered,” Wong said. “We are heartbroken by her passing.”
The fatal crash remains under investigation, according to WESH.
