Girls, 11 and 13, killed on drive to beach to see brother propose, NC grandpa says
Five relatives were heading to the beach for a special occasion when tragedy struck on a North Carolina highway, officials say.
Bobby Duckworth of Moore County was driving the family SUV when he “lost control” and ran into a guardrail on Tuesday, reports ABC11, the News & Observer’s media partner.
The car flipped onto U.S. Highway 15-501, near the line between Hoke and Scotland counties, according to WNCN.
Sisters Jennalyn, 13, and Audra Duckworth, 11, were killed in the crash, the Sandhills Sentinel reports.
The girls’ parents — Bobby and Audrey — and their 15-year-old brother, Benjamin, were hurt in the crash and taken to a hospital, ABC11 reports.
The wreck happened when the Duckworths were on the way to the coast to see their “oldest son propose to his girlfriend,” grandfather the Rev. Bill Vaughn told ABC11.
A GoFundMe page raising money for the Duckworths says “the family is overwhelmed with grief.”
“It was such an awful tragedy,” Vaughn told WNCN. “We could’ve lost all of our family.”
An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway, the Sandhills Sentinel reports.
“Highway Patrol troopers said speed was not a factor but authorities said heavy rain falling at the time of the crash may have played a role in the wreck,” WRAL reports.
Some reports list the 13-year-old’s name as JennaLyn, Jenna Lynn or Jenna. News outlets also list the 11-year-old’s name as Beth.
This story was originally published July 25, 2019 at 7:06 AM with the headline "Girls, 11 and 13, killed on drive to beach to see brother propose, NC grandpa says."
