Sleepy driver crashes, kills family

BY TONIA N. CIMINO

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 3:41 PM EDT

It was a tragedy that crossed oceans.

The fatal crash on Friday, May 22 that took the lives of four members of a Jamaica family – Wayne Pride-Hicks, 44, wife Natalie, 35, Wayne Jr., 10, and Natalia, 3 – not only left behind three orphaned children, but a grieving family as far away as Trinidad, and as close as VA.

Bishop Lester Williams of the Community Church of Christ in Jamaica had to make the phone call to Leroy Rumph, Hicks’ biological father, whose house in Clayton, AL the family was traveling to for a first-time meeting.

“He [Rumph] was just speechless,” said Williams.

Williams then notified other family members of the tragedy in North Carolina that, according to Williams, also killed a man in a pickup truck and injured his wife.

According to reports, Hicks might have fallen asleep at the wheel and swerved into oncoming traffic, causing him to crash into the pickup and then another vehicle.

“We were devastated at the news,” said Williams. “These were precious, dear people to our church. We are enduring the pain – I don’t think they would want us to grieve.”

Williams, who also serves as godfather to all five children, told The Courier, “Moments after they were born I held each and every one of them in my hands. God took something from this country.”

But, he said, in the face of tragedy, faith can help you heal.

“God is in the habit of sustaining,” said Williams. “He sustains us but he does not explain. [Faith is the] only thing that will keep you through this.”

The surviving children – Elijah, 8; John, 7; and Josiah, 5 – were injured and taken to the hospital following the crash.

Since, two have been released to a maternal grandmother in VA, according to Williams.

“I don’t think they [the children] have grasped the full scope of what has taken place,” he said.

A funeral for the family will be held on Thursday, May 28 at Community Church of Christ.

The church has set up a web site, HicksFund.org, “to help support the Hicks children and their future education.”

“There are three funds set up by the church that will help greatly support these efforts. They are the funeral expense fund, children's expense fund, and 529 college savings fund,” reads the site. “Please find it in your heart to lend your support with a generous donation.”

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Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of queenscourier.com.

gia smith wrote on May 29, 2009 4:04 PM:

" some of the sweetest people i know are no longer here but in my mind and heart forever, love yall always. "

michelle rumph wrote on Aug 21, 2009 10:26 PM:

" The trip that my brother and his family were making to come and visit us was not going to be his first time seeing us nor was it going to be his first time meeting my father. It was going to be the first time for us to meet his wife and kids. (Luv U Wayne, Wayne Jr., Natlie and Natalia) "