Raeford, N.C. — A soldier faces charges in a Hoke County accident that killed a a 9-year-old girl who was riding in her grandmother's funeral procession and injured 13 others.
The Highway Patrol said David Deming, 32, had just graduated from sniper school at Fort Bragg and was driving to his Colorado home on Friday when his truck went across the center line on Aberdeen Road and side-swiped two limousines in the procession. Deming was reaching for a Mountain Dew soda at the time, troopers said.
Cheyenne Thomas, 9, of Ash in Brunswick County, was riding in the second limo and died from injuries sustained in the crash, troopers said.
The collision overturned the limousines, which had been headed toward Clinton. Deming’s truck also ran head-on into another truck that was behind the limos.
Deming was treated at a hospital and released, and troopers charged him with misdemeanor death by vehicle and driving left of center. Alcohol was not a factor, they said.
“I thought we were the only ones who had gotten hit, but my brother, Michael, came running and screaming, 'Cheyenne's gone, Cheyenne's gone,'” crash victim Lynn Jackson said.
Richard Thomas, who was also in the second limo, was flown to UNC Hospitals, where he was listed in critical condition Saturday night.
“You think this is something to happen to somebody else and it doesn't happen to your family, but it can,” Jackson said.
Jackson said it is hard to believe she has now lost her niece and her mother, Freedonia Horne, to whose funeral they were traveling.
“My mother has yet to be buried. We have another funeral we're going to have to go to," she said.
Jackson said she knows accidents happen and is not angry at Deming.



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as for pulling over for a funeral procession - this happened on a highway
March 17, 2008 1:04 p.m.
When I first started driving about 45 years ago in the midwest, there was a law, which was enforced, that when you came upon a funeral procession, you pulled off to the side of the road and waited until the entire procession was passed before proceeding. I guess in this day and age people are too "rushed" to be respectful of the deceased and their loved ones. I don't recall there being a low like this in NC.
March 17, 2008 12:16 p.m.
At any rate though this soldier is at fault, it could've happened to any of us and compassion should be shown on all sides.
God bless.
Rev. RB
March 17, 2008 12:02 p.m.
Finally, while I am not always the first person to defend the military or a military person, did ya read that this guy just graduated from Sniper School? This means he has not been in trouble and should have some amount of sense and intelligence.
If there is anyone out there who says they drive every day every time distraction-free, I call bull. If you notice a billboard, that is a distraction. If you notice a bumper sticker, that is a distraction. If you are looking at the person next to you talking on their cell phone, you are being distracted. If you talk to a person in the car with you, that is being distracted.
Keep it up folks. Do you want cameras and microphones mounted inside our cars so Big Brother can make sure we aren't listening to music or talk radio (those are distractions by the way) or aren't getting spitting out a piece of gum?
Don't get me wrong. I feel for the little girl and her family. But typical knee-jerk reactions don't help anyone.
March 17, 2008 11:50 a.m.
March 17, 2008 11:47 a.m.