AMHERSTDALE, W.Va. — A first responder who serves Boone and Logan counties remains hospitalized after being critically injured in a single-vehicle wreck.
Dustin Hurley, a lieutenant with the Buffalo Creek Volunteer Fire Department in Logan County and EMT with the Boone County Emergency Management Authority, was driving to work Friday morning when he lost control of his car.
Hurley’s fiance Abby Ferrell told MetroNews she believes he fell asleep at the wheel at the time of the crash.
“I’m assuming he just had a rough night sleep or something along those lines and we think he fell asleep to be honest,” Ferrell said.
Hurley, 25, was listed in critical condition at Charleston Area Medical Center Monday morning, but Ferrell said he is slowly improving.
“We’ve been together going on 10 years now since I was 14 and it’s my best friend. It’s hard to see him like this,” she said.
Ferrell said Hurley received multiple fractures to his ribs. He also has pneumonia, which he had prior to the crash.
Since the accident, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help Ferrell with travel expenses and other financial needs she has while Hurley continues to recover at CAMC.
Ferrell didn’t know about the donation page until recently and said the support for the family has been incredible.
“With all the people that has reached out saying that they are going to continue to pray for him — news stations, fire departments locally — I’m sure, if he could see it, he would be in tears,” she said.
Posts on the Buffalo Creek VFD Facebook page over the weekend asked for continued prayers for Hurley.
Ferrell said her fiance’s love for helping his community is not going unnoticed.
“He watched his dad grow up being on an ambulance, working in ERs and on the fire department. He’s really followed in his footsteps a lot. He does firefighting and when he’s not doing that, he’s working on the ambulance or just helping the community as much as possible,” she said.