As is the case in vehicle accidents, the fine line between life and death rests not in the hands of a physician with a wall full of medical degrees, but rather with the skills of an emergency responder.

How fortunate we are here in rural northeastern North Carolina to have many highly skilled individuals who rush to the aid of someone in need.

There are many documented cases where if it was not for the meticulous efforts of those to first arrive on the scene, the victim may have been added to a list of those who have unfortunately lost their lives in such mishaps.

Case in point was Thursday afternoon’s accident on NC 11 near Murfreesboro. There, a woman apparently lost control of her vehicle, careened off the roadway and slammed into a tree, thus pinning the driver and placing her life in jeopardy.

This particular crash required the expertise of Hertford County Emergency Services, Hertford County Emergency Management and members of the Murfreesboro and Winton fire departments.

Working like a well-oiled machine, a small army of emergency responders performed their respective tasks with clockwork precision.

Keep in mind that these individual response units train in different styles, and not necessarily together. But yet when an accident such as the one on Thursday brings them together in one place, it’s like they have spent years together in training.

As the firemen used power tools to allow the field medics to gain access to the driver, emergency management was behind an effort to gently move the car from against the tree, thus allowing more room for the medics to work, while also orchestrating an effort to land a medical helicopter at the scene.

All of this was accomplished in a timely and cautious manner, which is the difference between saving a life and mourning a tragic loss.

We commend all of our local emergency responders for their commitment and dedication.