Fort Bragg Soldier Injured In Fiery Raleigh Crash One Day Before Deployment

According to Raleigh police, at approximately midnight on July 2, two bystanders were able to rescue a Fort Bragg soldier from a flaming vehicle after a serious crash on New Bern Avenue.

The soldier, 19-year-old Palmerville, Massachusetts resident John Michael Dean, suffered serious personal injuries in the crash and required transport to WakeMed, where he is expected to undergo surgery, according to police.

Police say Dean and a comrade were scheduled to fly out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport on July 3 to begin a deployment.

Police say that earlier on the night of the crash, Dean had apparently been drinking with some friends near City Limits Saloon before leaving in a 2004 Volkswagen. He was westbound at a high rate of speed on New Bern Avenue before losing control as he approached a curve near the split with Edenton Street.

Dean crossed a concrete median to the left before colliding with a stone wall. The car eventually came to rest in a vertical position between two trees. Two bystanders, whose identities have not been confirmed, pulled him from the flaming wreckage.

Police say Dean will be charged with DWI, provisional DWI (because he is under the legal drinking age), careless and reckless driving, and a seat belt violation.