Mars Hill officials call for change after man dies after being backed into by mail carrier

Johnny Casey, Asheville Citizen Times
·4 min read
1
A man died after being run over by a carrier attempting to back up to the back parking lot area at the Mars Hill post office, located at 65 S. Main St.
A man died after being run over by a carrier attempting to back up to the back parking lot area at the Mars Hill post office, located at 65 S. Main St.

MARS HILL - A man was killed after a mail carrier ran him over at the Mars Hill post office Dec. 27.

According to Chad Wilson, who was named Mars Hill police chief effective Jan. 1, the identity of the man has not been released yet.

Wilson said the man, 65, was a former math teacher and had recently moved to Marshall from Michigan.

According to Wilson, Madison County Emergency Operations Center received the 911 call at 2:48 p.m. stating that a motor vehicle crash had occurred involving a truck and a pedestrian.

Wilson said the carrier was attempting to back the box truck into the back parking lot area, where there is a loading dock, and backed into the man and running him over at the side of the parking lot, where there are six parking spots parallel to N.C. 213/Carl Eller Road.

"I arrived on scene, and bystanders and fire department personnel were performing CPR on the individual, and he was transported to Mission Hospital," Wilson said.

According to the police chief, the man was with his wife and planned to pick up their mail at the post office.

Wilson said his wife did not witness him getting run over, as she was getting out of the car.

"I hate it on her part, because she's in shock. Point blank, period, she's in shock," he said. "I just hate it. I hate it. Especially right after the holidays."

According to Wilson, the victim had recently celebrated his 65th birthday.

Wilson and Mars Hill Town Manager Nathan Bennett said they hoped the incident would spark discussion at the federal level about the location, general layout and building/parking lot infrastructure at the Mars Hill post office.

"There are only 11 parking spaces in that parking lot," Wilson said. "It's extremely tight. And with the amount of volume that that post office gets now, as much as Mars Hill has grown, we've outgrown that post office years ago."

Bennett agreed with Wilson, and said he felt it was time for a new location.

"I would think it's time for the Postal Service to look at a new post office location for Mars Hill," Bennett said. "It's just that they need a secure place. That just highlights how dangerous it is. We have numerous fender benders all the time. It's just such a tight, congested space."

The post office is located at 65 S. Main St., across from the Madison County Visitor Center and adjacent to the gazebo park and a number of businesses, including the popular barbeque restaurant Stackhouse.

On Dec. 27, a 65-year-old man died after a carrier driving a box truck ran him over while attempting to back up into the back parking lot, pictured here, at the Mars Hill post office.
On Dec. 27, a 65-year-old man died after a carrier driving a box truck ran him over while attempting to back up into the back parking lot, pictured here, at the Mars Hill post office.

Wilson said he spoke with the mail carrier, whose identity has also not been released.

"He is distraught, as anybody would be," Wilson said. "It's a sad situation on both sides, as well as the town itself. I mean, it happened one block from downtown Mars Hill."

Wilson said Jan. 4 he will meet with District Attorney Seth Banks to issue the Mars Hill Police Department's incident report. According to Wilson, Banks was scheduled to participate in a trial the week of Jan. 2-5.

Banks did not offer a comment on the investigation.

Wilson said he met with a Knoxville-based United States Postal Service investigator Dec. 28, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Phillip Bogenberger operates corporate communications for the United States Postal Service.

Bogenberger was not available by press time.

The incident is just the latest tragedy related to the Mars Hill post office.

On Sept. 5, the university went into lockdown after a man carjacked the vehicle of a Mars Hill U.S. Mail worker, Teresa Ramsay, and shot her in the head.

The man, Jaden Garay, 24, of Weaverville, was federally indicted Oct. 4 on charges of attempted first-degree murder.

More: Carjacking suspect indicted Suspect in Mars Hill attempted murder/carjacking of mail vehicle federally indicted

More: $18K raised for Mars Hill postal worker shot in carjacking; suspect gets new court date

A GoFundMe started by Ramsay's family to help "keep her and her family keep their home running and deal with upcoming expenses and basic needs" had raised more than $28,000 as of Jan. 4.

Kathy Little is postmaster at the Mars Hill post office.

"It's just crazy," Little said. "The fall and winter has been horrible. Absolutely."

Wilson said the impact of the man's death has been felt throughout the town.

"The impact is town-wide," Wilson said. "I hear it about every day, how bad it was, how horrific it was. Someone brings it up somewhere every day. It's still having the ripple effect."

Johnny Casey has covered Madison County for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel for nearly three years. He earned a first-place award in beat reporting in the 2023 North Carolina Press Association awards. He can be reached at 828-210-6071 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Officials call for change after death at Mars Hill post office