Man loses brother, sister-in-law in crash on Christmas Day: 'Keeping my brother's name alive'
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Fayetteville family is in shock after a husband and wife were killed in a car crash on Christmas.
Police say Jada and Patricia Fields died after being hit by another driver, Michael Smith, Jr. who ran a red light.
It happened at Hope Mills Road and Raeford Road.
"Somebody killed my brother, man. How can you be driving fast man, like that, man?" Gary Fields said.
Fields' family says he is coming to terms with the reality that his brother is gone forever.
"This ain't right, man, this ain't right. It could have been prevented."
Fields says he had just seen his big brother at his and his wife Patricia's home to pick up a Christmas present. From there, Fields drove to their mother's house with Jada and Patricia following behind in their Toyota Corolla.
"(H)e didn't want to miss our tradition," Fields said. "We got our stockings on the wall that we had since we were kids..."
Then tragedy struck. The brothers reached the Raeford Road intersection. Fields kept driving straight on Raeford. But as his brother was turning left, police say Smith ran a red light on Hope Mills Road in a Chrysler 300, crashing into the Corolla. After speaking with authorities, the Fields' family says they believe Smith was driving his Chrysler up to 90 miles per hour. After nearly 30 years of marriage, Jada and Patricia were pronounced dead together at the scene.
Fields says he didn't see the crash behind him--and that he and his family didn't even realize his brother and sister-in-law were killed until police arrived at his mother's house several hours later. He says he hasn't slept in two days.
"With his legacy and his name, we gone go forth and everything I do in positive energy, I'm gone keep my brother's name alive," Fields said.
Fields say the couple leaves behind three children and two grandchildren.
Police say Smith is facing 12 charges for the crash including a misdemeanor for death by motor vehicle.
