Thursday, September 9, 2010 From WVNS

ORIGINAL STORY

One person was killed in a McDowell County accident Wednesday morning.

Sheriff's Deputy J.R. England said James Bailey, 35, of Bradshaw, was driving a McDowell County Emergency ambulance north on Route 80 when he ran off the road.

The accident occurred just before 3 a.m. in Avondale.

After rolling 51-feet over the hill, England said the ambulance finally came to a rest on the driver's side.

Bailey, who was trapped inside the vehicle, died on scene.

According to England, four people were involved in the accident, including Bailey, a 12-year-old patient, her mother and an EMT.

The patient's mother was injured and air-lifted to Charleston Area Medical Center.

England said the EMT is also being treated for injuries at Welch Community Hospital.

Iaeger and Bradshaw Volunteer Fire Departments responded.

AVONDALE -- UPDATE 8:24 p.m.
 

James Bailey was driving an ambulance like any other day early Wednesday morning, but this day wouldn’t end like any other. Instead, Bailey hit the guardrail on Route 83 near Avondale. Around 3 a.m. Bailey, and his ambulance, rolled more than 20 feet down an embankment and stopped in front of a home with Bailey pinned beneath it.

Witnesses to the accident say Bailey was still alive, but died later on scene. Co-workers from the Bradshaw Volunteer Fire Department were among the first one scene. They say it was a gruesome scene, but that Bailey died doing what he loved to do.

“It’s a shock, it’s hard to believe he’s gone,” said Kimberly Proffitt.

Proffitt knows how important helping others was to Bailey. She was his cousin, his friend, and his co-worker. The two were supposed to work together this evening, a shift that never came to fruition.

“I lost what feels like my brother, my co-worker, and my friend all at once.”

Al Carrolla, the President of Bradshaw Volunteer Fire Department (where Bailey volunteered), says men like Bailey are one in a million.

“He just like what he was doing, he was a really good person, a real loss,” said Carrolla.

Those closest to him say he lived his life for those around him, most importantly his son and daughter.

“It’s all he talked about, he was going to see them this weekend,” said Proffitt.

Family members are shocked by the sudden news, and co-workers are exhausted. On there way to a de-briefing meeting to cope with their loss another fatal accident occurred just a few miles up the road from where Bailey died.

“It’s harder when it’s family. You deal with it everyday but it’s 10 times harder when it’s family.”