'Who does that?': After fatal crash, family says $6K stolen at Memphis hospital

Laurel Phoenix and Mayi "Ghoul" Kelley had decided they needed a fresh start before packing their bags, loading a Penske moving truck, and starting the drive from Atlanta to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Phoenix and Kelley, along with Phoenix's service dog named Dean Jensen Winchester — a character from one of her favorite TV shows -- had reached Memphis when their truck was hit by a car that ran a red light, Memphis Police said.

The crash killed the 21-year-old Kelley and injured her 54-year-old mother, Phoenix. It also resulted in the death of the driver that ran the red light.

Dean Jensen Winchester was taken to Memphis Animal Services for treatment.

Memphis police officers say the man who hit the truck, 27-year-old Kentrell McFarland, was driving erratically, speeding in a 30-mph zone and ran a red light when his 2017 Ford Fusion hit the passenger side of the moving truck. McFarland was exiting I-240 at the time and the crash resulted in the truck flipping on its side.

Phoenix and Kelley were taken to Regional One Hospital in critical condition. Kelley was later pronounced dead, but Phoenix upgraded to non-critical.

Melody LaRochelle, Phoenix's 30-year-old daughter, said she slept through a few of the initial calls, but eventually picked up and heard the news.

"My boyfriend and I drove out to get my little brother, who is in college at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia, the night that it happened and then drove to Memphis," LaRochelle told The Commercial Appeal in a phone interview.

When she was admitted, Phoenix's purse and some valuable items were taken into a storage room, LaRochelle said. But when Phoenix was being discharged, and they went to retrieve those items, they found $6,000 in cash had been taken from her wallet.

"She had stored away over $6,000 that was meant to be a security deposit," LaRochelle said. "Because of the way she had the bills hidden — systemically throughout her wallet...I can only imagine that someone would have had to take their time with it to be able to find everything. Who does that?"

A spokesman for Regional One Hospital did not return messages seeking comment Wednesday.

Who was Mayi "Ghoul" Kelley?

Kelley, who used the pronouns they and them, preferred to go by the name "Ghoul" because of their "affinity for all things Halloween and spooky," LaRochelle told the Commercial Appeal. At 21-years-old, Kelley was still trying to figure out what name they wanted and had been enrolled at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, before dropping out to take care of her ailing mother.

"They had the biggest heart and were so gentle and sweet to everyone they met," LaRochelle said.

They were an avid music and musical fan, along with being a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ community. Kelley also loved reading, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mamma Mia and Dear Evan Hansen. Kelley had plans to attend community college when they were settled in Albuquerque.

"I wish more people got to know my sibling because they made everyone they met a better person," LaRochelle said.

How the dog fared

Dean Jensen Winchester, Phoenix's service dog, was taken to Memphis Animal Services the night of the crash.

MAS did not find any obvious and external injuries but noted that he was showing "signs of severe FAS (Fear, Anxiety, and Stress) during his intake and stay at MAS." In order to not worsen that fear, they did not try to search for further injuries.

The dog is expected to make a full physical recovery, although recovering from the emotional trauma depends on many different factors.

"Recovery from the emotional trauma of the accident will depend on his individual history of traumatic events and his individual resiliency," MAS said in an email statement to The Commercial Appeal Wednesday.

After three days in the shelter, LaRochelle and her family picked up Dean Jensen Winchester on their way back to Georgia.

According to MAS, dogs generally fare well in car accidents because they often do not see the impact coming, so they are more relaxed. Because of that, they do not show obvious signs of whiplash like humans do.

The generosity of complete strangers

In the aftermath of the crash, LaRochelle started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Kelley's funeral, along with medical expenses to get Phoenix back on her feet.

In the week since it began, almost $20,000 have been raised, with some messages coming from apparent Memphians apologizing on behalf of the city and hoping the one tragic incident has not soured the family's perception of the entire city.

"Over the last few days, I've had people reach out to me on outlets like Twitter from Memphis saying that they're so sorry for what's happened in their city and that they hope that person does not represent Memphis," LaRochelle said. "I just thought that was so kind."

The sheer volume of donations have shocked LaRochelle and she said she is grateful for every person who donated, and every well-wisher.

"Just the outpouring of love and support — I've seen people on there who I know don't even have that kind of money to spend," LaRochelle said. "People have their own struggles going on in their lives who are going above and beyond. I never expected it to take off the way it has. If it's a currency, prayer — I know that sounds cliché — but even the people who've only been able to donate $1 or $5, I can't tell you how incredibly grateful and appreciative I am."

Lucas Finton is a news reporter for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by email at Lucas.Finton@CommercialAppeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: After fatal crash, family says $6,000 stolen from purse at hospital