AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT CLAIMS LIFE OF THREE NEW YEARS DAY
In a little more than twelve hours after the new year began, the Skyland / Arden community was sent reeling from a tragic automobile accident that claimed the lives of three young men.
David Hutchison, 18; his brother Shawn 17, ; and friend Matt Strickland 14 lost their lives around 1:30 pm when they lost control of the car they were driving and collided with a tanker truck on Brevard Road in Arden on New Year’s Day
In the wake of the these tragic deaths Eblen Charities has established a fund to assist David, Shawn, and Matt’s families. The Hutchison/Strickland fund will assist with the burial and other costs of the families during the difficult days ahead.
Shawn was a junior and Matt, a freshman at T C Roberson High School. David was out of school.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, was also injured in the wreck and was hospitalized.
To honor and remember the friends and classmates they lost, administrators at Roberson set up a memorial wall in the cafeteria with photos of the young men where the students could write messages and record their memories.
Shawn was preparing to o graduate this spring, according to Roberson High School Principal Amy Rhoney. He had planned to attend Buncombe County Middle College, his senior year where students take classes at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
Matt had gone to Valley Springs Middle School before coming to Roberson last year.
“Both Shawn and Matt were respectful, well-liked students,” Rhoney said. “Shawn arrived at T C Roberson last October from Enka High School, so Strickland was better-known to the Roberson community. “He was a very happy, vibrant young man,” Rhoney said. “He had a lot of friends here at school and was very popular.”
David had been out of high school when the accident occurred.
“We are all deeply saddened by the unimaginable tragedy that these families are facing following the deaths of their sons.” states Bill Murdock, executive director of Eblen Charities, “we live in a wonderful community that continually reaches out to those in need and in light of the events on New Years Day, I have no doubt that we all will come together again to help David, Shawn, and Matt’s families during this most difficult time. We do need everyone’s help. This certainly isn’t easy to have to pull together once again, especially so soon after the holidays, but the needs of these families is so great in the face of this horrific event, we are asking once again for all to join us to help lessen the burden.”
Donations can be made online at www.eblencharites.org. (Please specify Hutchison / Strickland fund) or dropping by the Eblen Charities Waddell Client Service Center or mailing check (please specify Hutchison / Strickland) fund to Eblen Charities 50 Westgate Parkway, Asheville, NC 28806.
For more information, please call Bill Murdock at 828-242-2848.
