In an act of selfless courage, two high school students in Union County, North Carolina, managed to save a woman’s life by pulling her from her burning vehicle. Now, both girls are being hailed as heroes.
According to a recent press release issued by the Union County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO), the incident occurred at around 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
At the time, 10th grader Mandi Tarr and 12th grader Joella Meadows, both students at Porter Ridge High School, were driving on Unionville Indian Trail Road past Secret Shortcut Road. Suddenly, they spotted flames and smoke coming from underneath a vehicle.
Fearing something could go horribly wrong, the two high schoolers managed to pull alongside the vehicle’s driver, then identified as Sharon Maggard. She, at the time, was unaware of the incredible danger she was facing.
High Schoolers Save Woman’s Life
After learning about the flames, Sharon immediately stopped her vehicle at the side of the road. Mandi and Joella, believing things could get much worse in seconds, told the woman to exit her vehicle, warning her that it could explode.
Sharon agreed, and things did, in fact, get much worse. A moment later, her car was completely engulfed in flames, as shown in the clip attached above. Inside, the North Carolina woman left her belongings, including her phone and purse. The girls, however, had saved something more valuable: her life.
Both high schoolers comforted Sharon while they called emergency services to the scene, even letting her sit in their vehicle.
Sheriff Hails Girls as Heroes
Given their quick thinking, Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey praised Mandi and Joella, calling them the “best of our community,” and saying that Union County “could not be prouder of them for their heroic actions.”
“I am incredibly proud of these two young ladies who showed true care for a person in need,” Sheriff Cathey said. “It is because of them this event didn’t end in a more tragic way. Their quick actions, compassion, and courage made all the difference in a moment that truly mattered.”
In the near future, Sheriff Cathey said, both girls will be awarded the UCSO Good Samaritan Award.
Similar Recent Acts of Heroism
Recently, other individuals, both law enforcement agents and citizens, have been able to heroically save people’s lives by pulling them from burning cars.
On May 12, 2026, NBC News senior correspondent Tom Costello was on the way home in Maryland when, suddenly, he saw a car crashing into a concrete barrier, exploding as a result. He was surprised to find a 17-year-old boy still alive behind the wheel. With the help of two passersby, Costello was able to move and take him out of the burning vehicle, saving his life.
Two days later, in Saginaw, Michigan, a woman crashed her vehicle in a residential area, MLive reported. She had impacted a parked vehicle with such force that her car lost its engine. Responding officers and local neighbors managed to save the woman in time, as her vehicle began to be engulfed in flames shortly after. She is expected to survive.