When a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper was shot and left for dead Monday evening in Wilson County, a nurse driving by helped save his life.

Local news outlets reported Trooper Daniel Harrell’s patrol cruiser had a dozen bullet holes in the windshield, as well as front-end damage.

Sherice Richardson, a registered nurse, told WSOC TV she was headed to Rocky Mount to pick up her toddler.

"I left the house at about 5:15 and I go on some country roads," Richardson said. "I was going around the curve, passing blue lights and so I slowed down some more, then I got out of the car that's when I seen the bullet holes in the windshield. I didn't know it at the time but when I got to the car, he just had blood coming from his face and I was like 'Oh my God, are you OK?' and all I could hear him say was 'I'm hit, I'm hit.' I was like we need to give him help so I called 911.

"He had gauze in his car so I instructed another bystander to put pressure on his face while I was on the phone with EMS," she said. "He was able to hold it himself actually and I sat there and comforted him."

She said she waited with Harrell until EMS arrived.

Three suspects are in custody.