Kind-hearted girl, 7, suffered every parent's worst nightmare while selling lemonade in front yard of her home
Annabelle Masten was airlifted to Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina on Tuesday, June 10, after a devastating crash in North Carolina that critically injured her and two other girls.
According to state troopers, a car accident sent a vehicle careening off Conley Road and into the front yard where the children were selling lemonade.
The car slammed into the stand with terrifying force, leaving all three girls seriously hurt.
Annabelle's family says her injuries are severe - one leg was completely shattered and the other has a crushed ankle.
Doctors rushed her into emergency surgery, where multiple pins and screws were inserted.
More operations are expected in the coming days.
She is also being closely monitored for a brain hematoma and possible spinal damage.
7-year-old Annabelle is fighting for her life after a car hit her lemonade stand, shattering both legs and causing possible brain injuries
Annabelle's family says her injuries are severe - one leg was completely shattered and the other has a crushed ankle
The car slammed into the stand with terrifying force, leaving all three girls seriously hurt
Her full prognosis remains uncertain.
'Please keep Annabelle, her family, and all the others involved in your prayers,' her uncle Michael Masten wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to help with mounting medical bills.
The GoFundMe has already raised more than $5,000 in two days.
The driver accused of causing the crash, 24-year-old Haley McCorkle of Hickory, has been charged with failure to yield the right of way resulting in serious bodily injury.
Annabelle is pictured with her family
Troopers say she pulled into traffic, causing another vehicle to swerve off the road and strike the children.
Despite the horror, the families are staying strong.
'I can't blame anyone for the accident. Accidents happen,' said the mother of one of the girls to Fox 8. 'I've just had to pray about it.'
The little girl's aunt Michelle Masten wrote online: 'Needing special prayers for my little niece. My brother, and his family. I have faith in the doctors in Asheville. May God guide them through this. I love you!'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Judge stays execution to evaluate if Alabama inmate is competent
A state judge has stayed an upcoming execution in Alabama to evaluate whether the man is too mentally ill to be put to death. The judge temporarily stayed the Aug. 21 execution of David Lee Roberts until it can be established whether he has a 'rational understanding' of what is to happen to him. 'Or similarly put, the issue is whether the petitioner's concept of reality is so impaired that he cannot grasp the execution's meaning and the purpose or the link between his crime and its punishment,' Marion County Circuit Judge Talmage Lee Carter wrote in the July 10 order. Carter said the execution will be on hold until a report from the Alabama Department of Mental Health is finished. It is not immediately clear how long that will take. Roberts was convicted of killing Annetra Jones in 1992 by shooting her in the head. His execution was scheduled to be carried out by nitrogen gas, a method Alabama began using last year. Attorneys representing Roberts argue that his death sentence should be suspended due to severe illness. Roberts has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia diagnosis, hears voices and is delusional, they said in a court filing. He also recently attempted to burn tattoos off his arm and leg because he believed they 'are trying to control his thoughts,' his lawyers said. 'This evidence demonstrates Mr. Roberts is incompetent to be executed because his delusions prevent him from having a factual or rational understanding of the reason,' they said. The Alabama attorney general's office is not appealing the stay. The state asked that the competency evaluation by expedited. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot execute prisoners who are insane and do not understand their impending execution and the reasons for it. However state law does not provide a clear standard on what courts must find in determining someone's competency to be executed. In 1992, Roberts, now 59, was a houseguest at Jones' boyfriend's home in Marion County. Prosecutors said that on the afternoon of April 22, he came to the home, packed his belongings, stole money and shot Jones three times in the head with a .22 caliber rifle while she slept on the couch. He then set the house on fire after dousing Jones' body and the floor with a flammable liquid, prosecutors said. Jurors convicted Roberts of capital murder and voted 7-5 to recommend that he receive life in prison without parole. A judge overrode that and sentenced him to death. Alabama no longer allows judges to override jury sentences in capital cases.
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Drug prevention officer exposed by his own bodycam after it records video of his affair with married school teacher
A Tennessee police officer who taught drug prevention to children was betrayed by his own bodycam after it captured him having an affair with a school teacher. Brian Gilley, who has since been dismissed from the Lebanon Police Department, is accused of engaging in sexual activity with Shelby Moss inside school property while on duty. The bodyworn footage, obtained by WZTV, showed the pair kissing in a classroom in August 2024, moments after a child leaves the room. The video was blurred to hide the youngster's identity. Moss worked at the Castle Heights Elementary School, in Lebanon, and Gilley had been assigned to work there as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer. The Lebanon Police Department said that a month later in September, another incident took place after classes had ended, during which the two engaged in sexual activity – though there is no footage of that incident. Gilley later said he was unsure whether any students were still on school grounds at the time. According to Fox, Gilley denied the allegations in an internal interview, telling investigators that no sexual contact occurred while he was on duty. But he later admitted to the relationship and resigned soon after. During a decertification hearing in April 2025, Gilley asked for forgiveness, saying: 'I know I've done wrong, but I've also impacted that community in so many ways. It was a mistake and it will never happen again.' He added he was 'very embarrassed' by his conduct. In May 2025, the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission voted to decertify Gilley, who is now barred from serving in law enforcement in the state. In a statement, Lebanon Police Department Chief, Mike Justice, said: 'While Gilley's actions did not align with our department's standards or policies, the conduct was not criminal in nature, did NOT involve children, and did NOT occur in the presence of children or in the classroom. ' 'We hold our officers to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. Gilley's actions fell short of those expectations that our community demands and deserves.' LPD reported that Moss was married at the time of this relationship with Gilley. She received a two-day suspension earlier this year but later resigned in May. A spokesperson for the Lebanon Special School District told Fox Nashville that the district had been made aware 'that a teacher engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a police officer after hours while on campus,' in December 2024. 'The District immediately conducted a thorough investigation and took appropriate disciplinary action in line with our policies and procedures,' the spokesperson said. 'We want to assure our families and community that we take all concerns seriously and act promptly to maintain a safe and respectful learning environment for everyone."
Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Mexico issues warning to citizens about traveling to Florida
By A diplomat from Mexico cautioned residents of the country to reconsider traveling to Florida after the state opened a migrant detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz. Juan Sabines, Mexico's consul in Orlando, issued the dire warning this week in an interview with Talking Points Memo. 'They should take precautions or not come to Florida,' Sabines said. 'You should take extreme precautions when you come to Florida.' Sabines explained that any visitors from Mexico should carry their documents with them at all times and make sure they rent cars from reputable businesses. 'They will detain you here for anything,' he said. 'It's a state that has more risks than other states… including for people with visas,' the diplomat added. Sabines' alarm stems from the detention of Mexican siblings Carlos González, 26, and Óscar González, 30, who were arrested July 7 following a traffic stop. Carlos, who was in the country legally on an active tourism visa, was stopped by a state trooper while driving a car that had tinted windows. He did not have the vehicle's registration on him. Óscar, who is married to a U.S. citizen, arrived on the scene to present the documents and was also arrested. 'And why? I don't know. We don't understand the reason they are still in prison. … It's not the right way to do things.' The consul's comments came as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called on the Trump administration to release each of the detainees being held at Alligator Alcatraz and to send them back to Mexico. Detainees at Alligator Alcatraz have described harsh conditions at the facility, including dozens of inmates being corralled in cages and disorienting conditions. A Cuban migrant said the lights stay on around the clock, leaving him clueless as to the time of day, and that inmates are only permitted to shower every three to four days.
