GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — “Mary was more than a colleague- she was part of our EMS family,” GEMS Deputy Chief Jamie McConnell said of GEMS paramedic Mary Jolly, who passed away in Florida while helping a driver involved in a crash.
On Saturday morning in Brevard County, Florida, Jolly stopped on I-95 to help a driver who had been hit by a car. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Jolly was injured when another car hit her while she was providing medical aid.
Jolly, 27, passed away around 11 a.m. on Monday at a Florida hospital while surrounded by family and GEMS Chief Mark Lamphiear. “Her compassion, steady presence, and deep commitment to serving this community touched countless lives. This loss will be felt across our entire organization,” Chief McConnell said.
Jolly has worked for GEMS since 2021 as part of the department’s swift water team, which had competed against other teams from across the state at an event in Fayetteville in September.
Gaston County officials said she was one of two to be named as the B-Shift Outstanding Paramedic in 2023. She was also part of a crew that saved a resident who was having a heart attack earlier this summer…