Daughter of woman killed in massive wreck remembers her as having big impact

Brandi Matlock, the daughter of Jerolyn Day Wilson, talked about how her mother gave her the confidence to stand on her principles. Wilson died in a crash during a winter storm on Feb. 19.
Posted 2/20/2025, 9:33:00 PM Updated 2/21/2025, 2:00:40 PM

YOU NEED TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL IF

YOU MUST BE A THANKS, BRIAN.

>> A MASSIVE 53 BY VEHICLE

PILEUP ON I-40 DURING THE

SNOWSTORM, TOOK THE LIFE OF

78 YEAR-OLD GERALYN DAY WILSON.

HER FAMILY IS GRIEVING AND

DEMANDING ANSWERS. WRAL'S LIZ

MCLAUGHLIN IS LIVE IN ORANGE

COUNTY NEAR THE 40 85 SPLIT

WHERE THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED

YESTERDAY. LIST.

>> DEBORAH, GOOD EVENING.

GERALYN WILSON LEFT HER

DAUGHTER'S DURHAM HOME AT ABOUT

02:00PM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON TO

HEAD BACK TO HER HOME IN

BURLINGTON. BUT IT WOULD BE

9 AGONIZING HOURS UNTIL HER

DAUGHTER WOULD LEARN WHY SHE

NEVER MADE IT HOME.

>> MORE THAN 50 VEHICLES PILED

UP ON I-40 AS SNOW AND ICE

TURNED THE INTERSTATE INTO A

TREACHEROUS MESS AMONG THOSE

CAUGHT IN THE WRECKAGE WAS 78

YEAR-OLD GERALYN WILSON WHO'S

DAUGHTER SPENT HOURS

FRANTICALLY CALLING POLICE FOR

ANSWERS. I HAVE.

TROOPERS SAY TRUCK DRIVER

WILLIAM KELLUM SLAMMED INTO

WILSON'S CAR, KILLING HER.

HE NOW FACES CHARGES. BUT THE

FAMILY IS STRUGGLING WITH THE

FACT THAT HER DEATH MAY HAVE

BEEN AVOIDABLE

WILSON'S NIECE TO A NIA HOPES.

PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER GERALYN

NOT FOR THIS TRAGEDY BEFORE THE

LIFE

SHE LIVED.

>> I HOPE THAT PEOPLE SMILE

LEAST 2 DOZEN. I THINK THE

AND KIND SURE THAN HOW MUCH SHE

LOVED HER CHILDREN.

>> AND THE FAMILY SAYS THEY'RE

STILL WAITING FOR MORE

INFORMATION FROM INVESTIGATORS.

KELLAM THE TRAILER TRUCK, A

DRIVER INVOLVED IN THIS

ACCIDENT IS EXPECTED IN COURT

© WRAL