A 5-year-old girl remains hospitalized in critical condition after a wreck earlier this week, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Now, members of a Cleveland County community and the girl's hometown community are showing their support for her and her family.
The crash
The Bray family, of Hamptonville, a town about two hours northeast of Cleveland County, was traveling west on N.C. 150 near Boiling Springs on Sunday morning when the crash happened, according to Trooper B.C. Sanders. A vehicle was waiting for a blue van to pass before turning left onto Patrick Avenue.
"The father, Joel Bray, was driving and I believe he took his eyes off the road for a minute. When he looked up, he saw the vehicle stopped in the roadway," Sanders said. "Bray went to the left to avoid the car."
When Bray went left, he hit the back left of the stopped vehicle with the front right of his car, Sanders said, and the Brays' car spun and hit the left front side of the van.
The crash, which happened about 10 a.m., involved three cars and a total of 10 people, Sanders said.
Community support
The passengers in the van did not suffer life-threatening injuries, Sanders said. But Joel Bray suffered broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung, and his wife Sherri suffered a broken arm. Five-year-old Kira Bray fractured her neck, broke her pelvis and broke her femur, Sanders said.
Tracie Calhoun, of Shelby, said she was heading to church at Crestview Baptist Church on Sunday morning with her family. They stopped when they saw the crash.
"My husband and I were one of the first cars on the scene after it happened," Calhoun said. "We were trying to make sure everyone was OK. An ICU nurse showed up and started administering CPR to Kira."
Members of Crestview Baptist have been concerned about the Bray family since the wreck, Calhoun said. She said Crestview members have been praying for the family. A fund has also been set up with the State Employees Credit Union for donations for the Bray family. For more information about donating to the Bray family or raffle items for the prayer vigil, contact Stephanie Holbrook at 336-452-9320.
Members of Kira's community plan to hold a candlelight vigil near her hometown Saturday at Friendship Motor Speedway in Elkin.
