“Somebody I’ll always cherish” Officer and man who helped pull her from crash reunited
21-year-old Trevor Self was recognized on June 21 by the department for his heroic efforts to pull the trapped officer from her car.
By Samiar Nefzi
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MARION, North Carolina (WLOS) — Nearly six months after a serious crash, a Marion police officer has reunited with the man who helped saved her life.
21-year-old Trevor Self was recognized on June 21 by the department for his heroic efforts to pull the trapped officer from her car.
“I don’t look at it as if I’m some type of hero,” Self told News 13. “I would like to think that anybody would stop and try to help, especially if they saw that.”
On Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, officer Breanna Toney was headed to work when her typical morning commute ended in a fiery crash.
“I knew something had to be done to get her out of the vehicle,” said Self. “[And] it had to be done quick.”
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP), just before 6:15 a.m., a pickup truck crossed left of center, possibly due to a medical condition, in Mitchell County along NC 226, crashing into Toney’s patrol car head-on.
“All I saw was black and a few minutes later it [her car] was filled with smoke,” said Officer Toney.
Her patrol car caught on fire and she was trapped inside. Officer Toney told News 13 she suffered broken ribs, a broken femur, a broken and dislocated talus, and lacerations to her liver.
“I knew that I needed to get out of their quick or it was not going to be good,’ explained Officer Toney. ”I just remember being in there and knowing I was gasping for air, hoping that somebody would help.”
Little did the 30-year-old officer know, just minutes later a passerby would pull over to be her first responder.
“I started hearing her voice screaming help,” Self recalled. “I tried to bust out the window and couldn’t get it to busted. I ended up finding a crack at the top of the door where I could pull it open. I then cut her seatbelt off.”
After removing Toney, Self said he waited until EMS arrived and went to work.
Officer Toney initially spent a week in the hospital following the crash.
About five months after the crash, the Marion Police Department announced on July 7 that Officer Breanna Toney had returned to “light duty.”
“It feels good just be walking around and back to department and noticing physical changes,” said Officer Toney.
“I’m glad to see her walking and doing good on her own,” said Self.
News 13 was able to arrange the pair’s first reunion on Saturday, July 16 at the Marion Police Department.
“He’s somebody I’ll always cherish,” said Officer Toney. “It feels nice to finally meet the person that helped me in a time of need.”
Officer Toney told News 13 it’s unclear when she’ll return to full duty but hopes for a speedy recovery.
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