ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Several vehicles were involved in a crash that sent over a dozen people to the hospital in Rockingham County.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, on Thursday at around 7:30 p.m., a church van driving north on US 29 at Wolf Island Road and Narrow Gauge Road in Reidsville failed to yield when turning left into a parking lot and hit a work van.
A total of five vehicles were involved in the crash.
Thirteen people were transported to the hospital, with seven juveniles ranging from six months old to 11 years old among those transported. No one had life-threatening injuries.
Thirteen agencies assisted with the incident between police, fire and EMS.
The driver of the van was charged with no operator’s license, failure to yield and a child restraint violation.
“It was just a miracle to see that a vehicle that damaged and the way things were happening that nobody was killed,” said Pastor Ron Galloway. “People were just singing and rejoicing, next thing you know one of the deacons came and waived and said I need you to come out, we’ve had an accident.”
The pastor assumed it was a fender bender, but he witnessed something much worse when he opened the church doors.
“You saw the vehicles turned over and people being lifted out of the church van you then it was something serious so myself and others we just ran out and help what we could do to get people out, it was surreal when you saw that,” said Galloway.
The van came from Eternal Life Ministries in Bassett, Virginia to worship in Reidsville.
“The service was taken to another level because my prayer for this holy convocation was that we will see the miracles, signs and wonders and we saw that firsthand, that is not the way we expected but God showed us that I am God and the service was through the roof,” said Galloway.
Together, a total of 5 church families were there for the convocation and prayed for all the people in the crash.
“Even in that, it was something amazing to see God’s hand protecting us,” Galloway said.
The pastor of Eternal Life Ministries says that two church members are still in the hospital with some broken bones, the rest have been released and are at home recovering. The two churches are working together to come up with a fundraiser to help pay for hospital costs and buy a new van.
