Former Beaufort County sheriff injured in motorcycle accident (updated)

Published 10:21 pm Sunday, August 9, 2015

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Background image: former North Carolina Governor  Bev Purdue talks with then Beaufort County Sheriff Alan Jordan after Hurricane Irene in 2011.

Former Beaufort County Sheriff Alan Jordan was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident Sunday night.

Jordan was airlifted from the scene to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, where he underwent surgery to amputate his left leg above the knee. Jordan suffered multiple other injuries, including a fractured pelvis.

The accident took place at approximately 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Bragaw Lane, N.C. Highway 33, and the southbound entrance to U.S. Highway 17 in Chocowinity.

According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol Sgt. Kevin Respess, investigators determined that Jordan was traveling east on N.C. Highway 33, when the driver of a Ford F-350 truck, traveling west, turned left to get onto southbound U.S. Highway 17. The Ford driver, John J. Williams, age 42, of Kinston, turned in front of Jordan’s motorcycle and the two collided, Respess said.

“That’s what it appears, from what I’ve been told by the supervisor at the scene, he just didn’t see him,” Respess said.

Respess said there was no indication that speed was involved. Williams was not injured in the accident.

Chocowinity EMS, located within eyesight of the accident, responded to the 911 call, according to Chocowinity EMS Capt. Shane Grier.

“After (the call) came out, we were on scene 30 seconds later,” Grier said.

EastCare was able to land its helicopter on the grounds of the EMS/Fire station.

Grier said that in reading the report on Monday, the two paramedics who treated Jordan — with 25 years of experience between them — did everything by the book.

“I feel like he got the best care that he could have been given,” Grier said.

While sources described Jordan as alert at the scene of the accident, he is being kept under heavy sedation at Vidant Medical Center, according to First Sgt. K. Hill of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. He was expected to undergo a second surgery Monday evening, Hill said.

The sheriff’s office released a press release on Monday, asking for prayers for Jordan, Williams and their families. The release said that the sheriff’s office will be providing ongoing support to Jordan, his wife and their family.

That support is reflected throughout the community of emergency responders, Grier said.

“We here at Chocowinity EMS, we’ll support him and his family any way we possible can,” Grier said.

Jordan served as Beaufort County Sheriff for 16 years (four terms) before retiring last year when Sheriff Ernie Coleman took office.