A roadside emergency in Ashe County turned into a moment of recognition for a crew of state transportation workers, after Dane Miller pulled off the road and called for help from his coworkers — who, according to the state, jumped into action.
A Call for Help, Then a Quick Response
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Miller described the moment this way: “Didn’t really have much time, so I just pulled off into the fire department … (and) called my coworkers.” The brief account offers few specifics about what prompted him to stop, but it makes clear that time mattered and that he turned to his colleagues for help.
Those colleagues — Tommy Royal, Michael Houck, William Hinson, Mike Powers and Zak Roupe — are all members of the Ashe County Bridge Maintenance unit, the state transportation agency says. Per the same account, the group jumped into action after getting Miller's call, though the agency's released material does not detail exactly what steps each of them took once they arrived.
Recognition From the State
The incident, and the crew's response, led the North Carolina Department of Transportation to publicly honor the group for their actions. The agency's release does not specify when the underlying incident took place relative to the announcement, nor does it lay out additional details about the circumstances that led Miller to pull off the road in the first place.
A separate post from the North Carolina Department of Transportation on Facebook circulated the story further, framing it as an account of a coworker rescue. Beyond the details already confirmed by the state agency, further specifics about the incident have not been independently verified.
