Collision kills mother, injures children and local firefighter

An Alexander County mother lost her life this week in a tragic highway collision.

The crash occurred about 4:30 p.m. on Monday, June 18, 2018, on U.S. Hwy. 64/90 about 3.5 miles west of Taylorsville, near Church Road, according to Trooper A.P. Millsaps with the N.C. State Highway Patrol. It involved two vehicles.

The mother was identified as Carrie Renae Howell, age 33 of the Ellendale Community. She was driving westbound on US 64/90 with her two children, ages 10 and 7, as passengers in her 2013 Hyundai Elantra, along with their cousin, age 11. (Names are withheld due to the injured being minors.)

Trooper Millsaps related that the other vehicle was a 2006 Ford Ranger pickup, driven by Joshua Leland Bowman, age 20, also of Ellendale. Bowman told officers that he had been working in the heat that afternoon. He turned onto 64/90 from Church Road heading east, then fell asleep. This caused his pickup to drift left of center and strike the Howell car in the left front fender area and the vehicles’ contact continued on down the side of the car.

The Bowman truck came to rest in the roadway. Howell’s car came to rest in a nearby yard.

Evidence gathered at the scene corroborates Bowman’s statement, said Millsaps. There were no signs of impairment.

Carrie Howell died at the scene. Her two children were transported by ambulance to Frye Regional Medical Center but had no major injuries. Their 11 year old cousin was taken by ambulance to Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory and from there was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center due to serious injuries.

Bowman, who is also a firefighter for the Ellendale Volunteer Fire Department, had an injured ankle and other minor injuries.

Hwy. 64/90 West was closed at the accident scene for about three hours on Monday. Traffic was detoured on secondary roads.

Trooper Millsaps said the Highway Patrol will confer with the District Attorney’s Office to determine if any charge will be filed.