A high-speed pursuit along Interstate 77 in May 2018 led to a fiery collision that took the life of North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Samuel N. Bullard.
Five years since the accident friends, family, colleagues, and members of the community came together Tuesday for a remembrance and dedication ceremony for the honorary Trooper Samuel N. Bullard Bridge in Elkin.
Drivers around the Elkin Center may have taken a moment to check their speed and seat belts upon seeing the armada of state highway patrol vehicles in the parking lot. The troopers took time off from patrol and had another mission Tuesday morning, to honor their fallen brother.
The Bullard Bridge is located on NC 268 Bypass/CC Camp Road over Big Elkin Creek and now has the signage from the state to make it official after years of effort. Much of that effort was taken on by Bullard’s friend and shift partner Trooper Brandon Cox.
Cox said he was honored to have known him, “I believe most of us are fortunate enough to only have a handful of people in our lifetimes that truly inspire us to be better, people that have characteristics that we try to emulate. Samuel was one of the people for me. I can assure you; I’m not just saying that – I remember having that conscious thought when he was still with us.”
He remembered his friend as a hard worker, “He gave effort every day and never let other issues in his life affect his performance. I don’t ever recall him having an off day. He always knew his assignment was to serve and protect.”
“The day he died I actually asked him to meet me at Sheetz across the road for a cup of coffee,” Cox said gesturing across the street from where he spoke Tuesday. Bullard knew that his duty was to be on patrol and Cox recalled, “He knew rain was coming later and asked are there tickets at Sheetz?”
“Looking back, I really wished we’d gotten that cup of coffee, but that story illustrates exactly how he felt about doing his job and working for his community. He was also charitable… and a true Wilkes County man who loved the outdoors.”
A turkey hunt just a few months before Bullard died did not yield the results he or Cox may have wanted. The turkeys made it to see another day, but that was all right as Cox said he has the memory of hiking that day with his friend, talking, and just enjoying one another’s company.
“I remember that night when he died, and we were all consoling each other, someone said if you don’t like Samuel there must be something wrong with you. Almost five years later I have still never met anyone that has one bad thing to say about him,” Cox said.
Trooper Cox took the lead in having the bridge dedicated to Bullard, but the process was not a quick or easy one. He appeared before the county commissioners last June to ask for their help in moving the process along and covering some of the costs. The board agreed to contribute $2,000 toward the administrative fee and cost of the signage.
Highway Patrol First Sergeant Daniel Hall said that May 21, 2018, “Is a day we can never forget… Some of us can talk about this event, others can’t – tragedy affects us all in very different ways, but our lives can never be the same.”
“May this bridge serve as a daily reminder to those who cross it of what a fine gentleman Trooper Bullard was, and it will also serve as a reminder to the dangers law enforcement encounters protecting citizens,” Hall said before noting his time with Bullard was “cut way too short.”
Hall read from a writing sent to him, “Got this from (Bullard’s) classmate and he sent it to me, I saved it because it touched me: ‘I saw a sheep become a shepherd; I saw a man living his dream. I saw a man meet a woman and fall in love; I saw a man who was happy. I saw a man give his time to help others; I saw a man who was caring.”
North Carolina State Senator Eddie Settles said he counts Bullard among his heroes, along with Jesus and his uncle who died during D-Day. He noted his uncle and Bullard each were killed in action, in service to others, with three years of service and a fiancée at home waiting on them.
“It’s a tough thing when you lose a young man at 24 years old. What is a hero? I am sure we all got people in our lives that we look to that are heroes, but I am here to tell you that freedom is not free, and our protection comes at a price.”
“He was the kind of man we should all aspire to be. He got up like any other day, he got up to serve and to protect. That’s what they do,” Settle said and gestured to the troopers on stage with him. “He truly lived the scripture: greater love hath no man than lay down his life for his friends.”
“Samuel Bullard and all other law enforcement put their life on the line every day. As a senator of District 36 in Wilkes, Surry, Yadkin, and Alexander counties, I’m thankful, you don’t hear that enough and what you go through is unimaginable some days,” Settle said.
Bullard left a big impact on Cox who said that his friend is worthy of such high praise, “The effect on his life was so profound that there are now two namesakes running in the world… Samuel deserves this.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
Be First to Comment