ROCKINGHAM COUNTY — A Rockingham County man and his stepson are alive after both receiving significant injuries during Sunday’s storm.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Ashton Wicker, 7, is still admitted at Moses Cone, but is in good condition according to a hospital spokesperson. His stepfather, 45-year-old Ronald E. Joyce, was released from the hospital on Monday.
According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP), just before 6 p.m. on Sunday, Joyce was driving a silver Lexus east on Grooms Road near Frank Road in Rockingham County. His stepson was in the back seat.
A mobile home that was under construction blew off of its foundation into the road and hit the Lexus on the right passenger side. Both Joyce and Wicker were taken to Moses Cone Hospital.
“I wasn’t but two minutes from my house and it came out of nowhere. I could see it coming from the passenger side of my car, over. There was a lot of banging and all that after that and all I could think about was Ashton. I was looking back at him and he was going in and out on me. I just said, ‘Ashton hold on. Don’t you leave me.’ And I just got out the car, got enough strength to open to the door to get him out. And that’s when I ran, ran with him into that house across the street,” Joyce told WFMY News 2.
Joyce's partner and Wicker's mother, Lisa Wicker, says Joyce has a long road to recovery. She said he has a collapsed lung, fractured rib and gashes and stitches in his hand.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Wicker was still in the hospital. His mother says he went through a 3-hour surgery to his head and arm. She’s says he’s in a lot of pain, but she’s so thankful he and Joyce are alive.
“As long as he’s okay, I’ll be fine. It makes me smile just to see him. But it breaks my heart to see him like he is, but I know he’s gonna be alright,” Joyce told us of his stepson.