BY DAN GITRO

This past week we saw a tragedy like Iredell County hasn’t seen in a long time. On Monday, June 13, residents were notified by the Firewire of a horrific accident on Fort Dobbs Road in the Ebenezer Fire District, involving a head-on collision between a golf cart and Honda Accord. Sadly, 39-year-old Michael Shane Marlowe and his 5-year-old son Bentley Marlowe were pronounced deceased on scene. Four others were seriously injured and flown to regional trauma centers in Charlotte and Winston-Salem.

One passenger in the golf cart, 26-year-old Amy Mills, lost one of her legs as a result of the crash and has a long recovery ahead. Jada Marlowe, 13, is still fighting for her life, but the power of prayer and medical intervention are working. Based on the family updates on Facebook, Jada appears to be a very strong young woman who is making a little progress each day. Two-year-old Bailey Marlowe broke both of her legs in the collision and has heavy bruising to her body. The pictures of her posted online — showing the pink casts on her legs and her grandfather feeding her with a spoon — are incredibly touching. Teenager Teagan Murphy is a walking miracle. 

Deadly accident in Union Grove

Tragedy struck again Friday evening in Union Grove. As the fire department was fighting a structure fire, a vehicle accident occurred in the fire department’s driveway and front lawn. Three patients were in the vehicle, including two who were trapped. Unfortunately, one person passed away in that accident.

Storms cause damage across Iredell

Another week brought more storms to the north end of the county. On Thursday and Friday, strong winds and rain brought down multiple trees. The Mooresville area was also hit with powerful winds, which downed power lines on West Wilson Avenue, causing power outages in the area. Video sent in by my dear friend Jamie Gatton showed the intensity of the situation.

Coming Soon: Upgrades to Firewire

Lastly, I am thankful for all my Facebook followers who purchased tickets for the Father’s Day Raffle. We raised a little less than I was planning, but with over 200 tickets sold it was a success. We will now buy the equipment necessary to add law enforcement and EMS back to our Broadcastify feeds. This project will take a couple weeks to complete, but once up and running we will be providing radio traffic from Iredell County Fire, Mooresville Fire, Statesville Fire, Iredell EMS, Iredell Sheriff’s Office, Troutman Police, Statesville Police and, yes, Mooresville Police.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Please continue praying for Amy, Jada, Bailey and Teagan. The road to recovery is going to be long, and life undoubtedly has changed for them.

Dan Gitro is the founder of Iredell Firewire.

Related 

♦ JUNE 14: Statesville man faces charges in crash that killed two, injured four on Fort Dobbs Road

♦ JUNE 14: Pastor: ‘It’s a time to think, and grieve, and mourn, and hope.”

♦ JUNE 18: Obituary: Bentley Michael Marlowe

♦ JUNE 18: Obituary: Michael Shane Marlowe