Greenville County teen recognized nationally for selfless, life-saving act of heroism

McKinley Turner was awarded a national Civil Air Patrol medal for her actions back in Sept. 2023

McKinley Turner's life would forever change in September 2023 when she witnessed the immediate aftermath of a fiery crash in Greenville County.

At the time, Turner was only 14 years old when she hopped out of her mother's passenger seat to help Jason Thompson and Andrew Crowe, two other individuals who were also hailed as "heroes" when a combination of the three helped save a woman's life as her car caught fire following the highway collision.

Turner was able to administer CPR and provide critical life-saving aid until authorities arrived on scene. She had just received her certification less than a week before the accident. For her selfless actions and swift thinking to jump into action, Turner was nominated and eventually awarded a national Civil Air Patrol award.

WYFF News 4 also caught up with Turner as she was given the Civil Air Patrol Award Life-Saving Award during a ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 22, in downtown Greenville.

"I would definitely say this is one of the top three moments of my life," Turner said. "There is not much that beats this, and I think this is going be a moment I will forever remember. I never did it for the medal. I did it for the people. I did it for the whole point of, hey, I’m young, but I’ve done my training, I know what I’m doing. I feel confident. I can really make a difference and do something for the greater good. I just really want people to see that no matter your age, you’re capable of things. The recognition is cool, but it’s not what it’s about. Don’t just stand there and wait for someone else to do it. It’s not going to work that way because everyone else is waiting for someone to do it."