Tragedy struck the city of Eden, North Carolina, as a man driving a city dump truck was accused of running a stop sign, which, tragically, resulted in him crashing into a crowd of utility workers. A total of six workers were struck, four of them being pronounced dead at the scene. Additionally, three others were injured, with two of them being airlifted to a local hospital.
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According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, as reported by PEOPLE, the incident took place on Thursday, April 24, at around 1:30 p.m.
Michael Ray Vernon, 66, was driving the city dump truck. Allegedly, Vernon ran past a stop sign and through an intersection and struck the six utility workers. At the time, the workers, all with Carolina Power and Signalization, were conducting power line work in the area, as per the outlet.
After the initial collision, the dump truck then struck a bucket truck. One person inside, reportedly a third-party inspector, was injured. As a result, Douglas Garland Sides, 72, Madison Carter, 32, William Evans, 35, and Matthew Lockwood, 30, were killed.
The two surviving workers suffered life-threatening injuries and were airlifted to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. Also, the reported inspector suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital.
Michael Ray Vernon was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and a stop sign violation. As per ABC News, police do not believe Vernon was impaired at the time of the incident.
Reaction
Carolina Power, president of Carolina Power and Signalization, posted a statement on
Facebook, mourning the insurmountable loss of life. Power called the victims, who were "fathers, sons, husbands, and friends," people who lived to serve others."As we mourn, I ask each of you to keep the families of our fallen brothers in your thoughts and prayers as well as the crew members that were on site," Power wrote. "Their loss is immeasurable, and the road ahead will be incredibly hard for them. Let's surround them with the love and strength that defines this Carolina Power family."
"This heartbreaking reminder of how fragile life is should push us all to hold our loved ones a little tighter. When you get home tonight, take a moment — hug your family, tell them you love them, and never take a single day for granted. We will get through this together — not as coworkers, but as a family. That's who we are, and that's what our brothers would want."
