Man says sheriff’s office didn’t tell him wife was in serious crash with deputy

MARSHVILLE, N.C. — A man told Channel 9 that the sheriff’s office did not notify him that his wife got in a serious wreck with a deputy.

Brenda Lawson, 62, is at Atrium Health CMC Main in the ICU and is in critical condition after being involved in a crash with the Union County deputy.

Her husband, Elmore Lawson, 76, said his wife is badly hurt with broken ribs on both sides, a collapsed lung, and a broken pelvis.

Lawson said that no one from the Union County Sheriff’s Office has contacted him to let him know his wife was in the crash that happened Friday afternoon on Highway 74 in Marshville.

He said he would not have known that it even happened if he had not done the detective work, himself.

“I said, ‘I’m going to the police station to check with them boys see what they know,’” said Lawson. “I went there they said, ‘Yeah, they had to airlift her to Charlotte.’”

Lawson said he found out through a friend with some connections that his wife was in a crash with a Union County deputy.

A spokesperson from the Union County Sheriff’s Office told Channel 9 that a K-9 unit was “enroute to assist another deputy” with lights and sirens at the time of the crash.

The deputy and K-9 were treated at a hospital and they will be OK.

Lawson said he supports law enforcement, which is why he’s disappointed about the lack of response by the sheriff’s office.

“If I wasn’t a no-caring husband or nothing, I wouldn’t know nothing yet,” he said. “I’m serious. There’s nobody (that has) contacted me.”

The highway patrol is investigating and we are waiting to get crash information from the agency.

The full statement from the Union County Sheriff’s Office is below:

“First and foremost, Sheriff Eddie Cathey offers our entire agency’s thoughts and prayers to the patient and her family as she continues to receive the necessary medical treatment for her recovery. The deputy involved in the collision was discharged from the hospital and is recovering at this time. Prior to the collision occurring, the deputy involved, who is also a K-9 handler, was driving emergency traffic (lights and siren activated) after being called to assist another UCSO deputy who had just concluded a motor vehicle pursuit involving a dangerous fugitive who stopped his car and fled on foot after entering Anson County. The deputy involved in the collision and his K-9 are specially trained in ground searches and dangerous suspect apprehension which made his presence at the scene a vital matter for officer and community safety due to the need for the suspect to be apprehended quickly.

“The North Carolina State Highway Patrol was asked to investigate the collision due to the involvement of a UCSO deputy. It is standard practice for the investigating agency to notify the family members of the involved drivers of the collision if they cannot do so themselves. I am unsure why the husband of the driver involved was not notified and this question should be directed to the NCSHP representative for further details.

“Once again, our thoughts and prayers remain with this local family and our deputy who are still recovering from this collision and our office is fully cooperating with the active NCSHP investigation. Thank you.”

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