Top news stories of 2022
There have been several crime and accident reports through 2022 that have been of interest to readers of The Dispatch. The following are some of the most-read breaking-news stories for the year.
NURSING HOME DEATHS
On Jan. 16 two people were found dead at Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Thomasville. The nursing home had only three staff members attending to 98 patients following a snowstorm.
Thomasville police said officers conducted a welfare check at Pine Ridge after receiving calls from residents stating they had not seen staff for a prolonged period.
First responders reported that elderly patients sat in their own waste for hours and several residents were “observed to have been crying, stating they had not received food or their medications, and some had said they had not seen a nurse all day." Reports stated no employees responded to work to replace the only three people caring for almost 100 patients at the nursing home for over 18-hours, many claiming hazardous travel following an ice storm earlier that morning.
Two other patients were found needing immediate care and were transferred to a local hospital for treatment. Representatives with the nursing home said the two deaths were not caused by staff storages, but were reported earlier in the day.
Following a three-month North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the nursing home completed several weeks of guided remediation practices and training to become compliant.
PLANE CRASH
On Feb. 16 emergency personnel responded to a report of an airplane crash on I-85 at mile marker 88 near Hargrave Road involving a tractor-trailer.
Initial reports indicate a twin engine Beech Baron plane was taking off from Davidson County Airport when it decreased in altitude and crashed into the trailer portion of a 2016 Freightliner tractor trailer that was traveling south on I-85. The tractor trailer overturned and traveled off the road on the right.
As a result of the crash, which caused both vehicles to burst into flames, the pilot of the plane died on the scene. The pilot was identified as Raymond John Ackley, 43, from Charlotte. The driver of the truck was unharmed.
A preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board stated engine failure seemed to be the cause of the crash.
CHILD IN DOG KENNEL
On Oct. 19 officers with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people after a 9-year-old boy was found locked in an outdoor dog kennel. Authorities said he had been living in the enclosure for over six months because, according to the child, he didn’t have a room inside the family residence.
The warrant stated that the boy was only wearing a T-shirt, blue jeans and no shoes. At the time of discovery, the temperature was 28 degrees and there was visible frost on the ground. The boy and four other children at the residence were placed in foster care.
As a result of the preliminary investigation, the owner of the residence, Shelley Barnes; the child’s father, Jonathan Starr; and the child's stepmother, Sarah Starr, were charged with several child abuse and additional charges.
CHILD KILLED AND THREE INJURED BY DUI DRIVER
On June 21 an 8-year-old child was killed and three other children were seriously injured after an impaired driver struck a NC DOT vehicle stopped on the side of the road to remove debris.
Officers responded to a traffic accident on Fairview Drive where a 2010 Pontiac G6 had struck the back of a North Carolina Department of Transportation truck that was stopped to remove storm debris. The NCDOT crew had one lane of travel blocked, but were using flashing caution lights on their vehicles and a slow/stop sign to direct traffic through the work area.
Four children, ranging in age from 3 to 15, were injured in the accident.
As a result of an investigation, the driver of the vehicle, Amber Brooke Whitaker, 35, was charged with driving while impaired. In addition, officers determined Whitaker contributed to the crash by failing to reduce speed and careless and reckless driving.
According to an arrest warrant provided by the Davidson County Magistrates office, Whitaker had methadone in her system and was "visibly nodding off" and "leaning against things to keep her balance" while being questioned.
3-YEAR-OLD AND TWO OTHERS KILLED IN SHOOTING
On March 2 two adults and a 3-year-old girl were killed at an apartment on Burgess Street in Lexington after a 911 caller reported smoke coming from the residence and that there was blood on the steps and a gun in the parking lot.
Upon arrival, first responders found two adult males deceased and a 3-year-old in critical condition from gunshot wounds. Items had also been set on fire inside the apartment.
The two adults, identified as Lionel Coker, 56, of the residence on Burgess Street, and Robert Lee Stowe, 61, of Winston-Salem, were both pronounced dead at the scene. The 3-year-old, identified as Ja-sel Orr, died several days later from her injuries. Initial reports indicate the girl was the granddaughter of one of the victims who was babysitting her that day.
Brian Mose, 54, of Winston-Salem, was arrested and charged with three counts of felony murder, felony arson, felony possession of a firearm by a felon and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
ONE DEAD AFTER CAR KNOCKED INTO YADKIN RIVER
On Jan.14 a man was killed after his car was struck by a freight train and knocked into the Yadkin River.
According to law enforcement, a 2011 Chevrolet HHR was parked beside the railroad tracks near the Wilcox Bridge along Hwy. 29/70 on private property owned by the railroad. The vehicle was parked so close that when the Norfolk Southern train passed by at approximately 9:10 p.m. it hit the car, knocking it into the river
The Chevrolet HHR was recovered from the river on Jan. 21 without a body. The body of the owner of the car, identified as William Franklin Head, was recovered from the Yadkin River on Feb. 26, according to a report by NC Highway Patrol. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing, and law enforcement have not indicated why Head was parked so close to the railroad and river.
BROOKER T’S CAFÉ FIRE
On Sept. 27 a popular downtown Lexington restaurant caught on fire and was heavily damaged.
At approximately 3 p.m. firefighters responded to a call of a structure fire at Brooker T's Café at 103 S. Main St. Upon arrival, flames and smoke were visible outside the building. The restaurant was closed at the time with no one inside and fire officials had to break the lock on the gate outside to gain entrance to the building.
The first floor of the restaurant received heavy damage due to the fire, but the second floor, annex dining area, bar and the kitchen sustained only heat and smoke damage, according to fire officials. The business next door to the restaurant, Magnolia's, sustained smoke damage, but was not damaged by the fire.
According to information provided by the Lexington Fire Marshal’s Office, investigators determined the area of origin to be in the dining area near the main entrance. They also said the cause of the fire was “undetermined” but deemed “accidental in nature.”
This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Top news stories of 2022
