29-04-2025
Family remembers Duke Energy contractor killed in Eden crash
EDEN, N.C. (WGHP) — The wounds are still fresh in Piedmont Triad as family and friends continue to mourn the loss of four line workers after a city dump truck crashed into them last week.
All of these men lived in different parts of the Piedmont Triad. They were husbands, brothers and fathers. A nonprofit organization serving the families of linemen across the country is stepping in to offer emotional and financial support.
A memorial along Church Street in Eden marks the spot where tragedy struck Thursday afternoon.
72-year-old Douglas Garland Sides, 32-year-old Madison Carter, 30-year-old Matthew Lockwood 35-year-old William Glenn Evans Jr. were killed.
Evans' stepbrother, Raffilius Wolfhart, said he's still trying to process the sudden loss.
'I'm just kind of speechless. Wasn't expecting him … to leave this planet this early,' Wolfhart said.
Evans and Wolfhart were just 10 years old when the two met after their parents married.
Wolfhart remembers his stepbrother as a devoted family man who loved the outdoors. Evans was a lineman for 10 years. He leaves behind a wife and a young son.
'I'm actually proud of him for having the lifestyle that he had, especially having a kid,' Wolfhart said.
To support Evans' family, Wolfhart has launched a GoFundMe.
He's not alone. The Fallen Linemen Organization, a nonprofit based in Louisiana, is stepping in to help all of the affected families.
Volunteer Coordinator Penny Jo Bilbrey has personally reached out to each one.
Bilbrey's husband is a line worker, so she said connecting with these families is especially personal.
She said the support is needed now and also needed long after these men are laid to rest. They provide them with emotional and financial support.
'This is when the friendship really forms … After the funerals, and I just know that from personal experience, everybody leaves. Unfortunately, life goes on, and that is when the darkest days come and the darkest times. So that's when I personally really try to embrace them as much as they will allow,' Bilbery said.
All donations made to the Fallen Linemen Organization through the nonprofit's website will be divided among the families of the four men killed and the two who were injured.
Please note the word 'Eden' in your donation or a specific person's name, and that's where your donation will go.
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