Firefighter charged with death by vehicle

Doris Oddie

By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.com

A firefighter who caused a fatal wreck Sunday has been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle.

Terry Allen Moore, 41, 780 Poole Road, was cited by Trooper C.F. Rogers of the N.C. Highway Patrol. He was also cited with passing in a no- passing zone.

Doris Cauble Oddie, 76, of 5770 Stokes Ferry Road, who was returning home from church, died instantly.

Moore, a volunteer firefighter and medical responder with the Union Fire Department, was responding in his personal vehicle to a medical call at Dan Nicholas Park Sunday around 12:30 p.m.

According to the Highway Patrol report, Moore was driving a 2004 F250 Ford pickup truck east on Stokes Ferry Road.

He was displaying a flashing red light.

Witnesses said Moore had passed several vehicles before coming up behind a line of vehicles which had slowed or stopped.

Those vehicles were behind Oddie's car, which had slowed.

Rogers said Moore thought the vehicles had slowed or stopped to allow him to pass.

As he pulled out to pass, Oddie made a left turn into her driveway.

The truck struck the driver's side door, killing Oddie instantly.

Rogers said while Moore had a flashing red light in his vehicle, it gave him no authority to break state motor vehicle laws.

Rogers said drivers aren't required to move out of the way for a firefighter in his or her personal vehicle with a red light, although most drivers do as a courtesy.

Powles Funeral Home in Rockwell is handling services for the Oddie family.

Frank Thomason, county emergency services director, said earlier that the accident was a tragedy for the Union community.

Many of the firefighters attended the same church, Union Lutheran, where the victim attended.

Firefighters met with the Oddie family Sunday night.