Windshield flies off tumbling fire engine, hits man in his yard, NC officials say

A 77-year-old man was injured in a highly improbable way, when the windshield flew off a tumbling fire engine and slammed into his back as he was doing yard work, North Carolina investigators say.

It happened around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, June 23, north of Kernersville, as firefighters with the Piney Grove Fire and Rescue Department were headed to an emergency call, the N.C. State Highway Patrol says.

An investigation has revealed the fire engine was traveling north on Piney Grove Road when it entered a curve, went off the right side of road, swerved back onto the pavement, rolled over, landed on its wheels, then slammed into a tree, Trooper L. S. Bullington told The Charlotte Observer.

“The windshield came off and struck a pedestrian in the back as he was weed-eating his yard,” Bullington said. “Three people were taken to hospitals: two firefighters and the guy in the yard.”

Details of their injuries were not released. The three are expected to recover, WXII reports.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is on going, Bullington said.

Maps show the crash scene is lined by a mix of single-family homes and farm land.

Kernersville is about a 90-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 1:37 PM with the headline "Windshield flies off tumbling fire engine, hits man in his yard, NC officials say."