On April 14, it will have been four years since my son, Brad Allison, was killed in the line of duty in service to his community while employed by the Cherokee Department of Transportation. So far, I know of no public memorial in his honor. However, I see a building and a bridge deservedly named in honor of North Carolina State Trooper Shawn Blanton Jr.
Can anyone tell me why one life is honored and another is not? Brad was on his job when killed by a drugged driver. He had been dispatched to Old #4 Road to check if it had been washed out during rains the night before and was on his way back to the DOT office when the drugged driver crossed over the center line at 65 MPH hitting Brad head-on, killing him.
Brad died in the line of service while keeping the roads safe for his community just like Trooper Blanton was. Why is one life loss any less memorable than the other?
Asking for the family and the community,
Jackie Smith Talley
403 Lake Ridge Court, Salem, SC 29676
(Note: Ms. Talley’s contact information was included at her request.)
