Soldier home for Christmas took baby son shopping in Tennessee. They never came back
A 23-year-old cook in the U.S. Army and his son were going to buy groceries for a family dinner when a wrong-way driver struck their vehicle, according to media outlets.
Both were killed.
Anthony Owens and his 1-year-old son Richard were driving west on Interstate 26 in Erwin, Tennessee, when the crash occurred Dec. 19, WJHL reported. Erwin is roughly three miles from the North Carolina border.
“As a parent we try to protect children but sometimes it’s out of our hands,” Owens’ father, Randy Owens, said in a Facebook post. “Please keep our family in your prayers.”
The Tennessee State Highway Patrol reported 42-year-old Tina Marshall was driving a 2001 Dodge Dakota east in the westbound lanes when she hit the 2019 Toyota CHR carrying Owens and his son, according to the Erwin Record.
“Both vehicles struck head on around 7:24 p.m. on Thursday and all occupants were killed,” the newspaper reported. “According to law enforcement, Marshall was not wearing a seat belt. Both alcohol and drug tests have been requested.’
The investigation is ongoing.
Owens had just come home for Christmas after signing up for another three years in the Army, WCYB reported. His parents told the media outlet their grandson was a “chunky monkey.”
Guns & Rockets, the dining facility at Fort Sill Oklahoma where Owens used to work, posted a statement about the crash on Friday.
“It is a sad day for us here at Guns & Rockets as we were informed this morning we lost one of our teammates. SPC Anthony Owens and his son will truly be missed and we send our prayers and condolences to his wife and family,” the post states. “Rest in heaven Soldier and we will see you on the other side!”
