Parkway Hyundai awards new car to Wilmington police officer

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A hometown hero was honored for his commitment to the community with a car on Monday.

Corporal James Bell with the Wilmington Police Department was the winner of the year’s Parkway of Wilmington Hometown Heroes Car Giveaway.

“I was surprised that I had been selected or you know somebody had entered me as a Hometown Hero,” Bell says. “I watched the drawing live as they did it and I was basically speechless, it was just amazing.”

Bell and his family were left stranded after Hurricane Florence destroyed their home and all of their possessions two years ago, but he never missed a day of work. That made him a perfect choice as the 2020 winner. 

“It was amazing,” Mary Margaret Latham, Parkway Hyundai dealer principal, said. “I mean seriously we had so many great applicants, but his story was so moving and you look at what they do, how they do their job, the risk they take and they’re so humble and they’re so grateful and they go and do it again the next day.”

Cpl. Bell drove home in a brand new 2020 Hyundai Ioniq.