I believe in angels / Diane Bagley (grandmother of Ashley Bowen )
My granddaughter Ashley Bowen, dob 05/22/88 dod 04/29/06.
Ashley was a victim of that cruel road Hwy 78. She was in an auto driven by a restless and uncaring teenager. Ashley had attended South Gwinnett, Parkview and was attending Faith Academy at the time of her death. She was working at a small sandwich shop Joe's to go at Killian Hills and Hwy 78. A boy age 19, was working at a sign shop in the same shopping center. She had never been out with him before. He picked her up at about 7:00 pm. They were going to get something to eat and then watch American Idiol with some friends. I was at a baseball practice with her brother age 6 at a ball field right off Lake Lucerne Road. We left to come home at about 8:00 pm. It was just beginning to rain lightly. We live in Summit Chase. We go by the intersection of Grayson Parkway and Hwy 78 several times a day-it seems. At 10:15 I called Ashley to see when she would be home. No answer. I got a call from Gwinnett County Police at 10:45 to come to Gwinnett Medical. Ashley did not have driver's license. They got my phone number out of her cell phone. The accident had occurred at 8:45 pm. She had been with this person less than 2 hours. He went around traffic on Lake Lucerne Road and entered Hwy 78 against the red light. A girl coming from Snellville saw him entering 78 and stopped and call the police. A person in the turning lane going toward Snellville also called the police. He entered the highway without making any attempt to turn left toward Snellville, A heavy SUV traveling east toward Snellville hit the truck in the door right were Ashley was sitting. She had on her seat belt. The boy did not. They both were air lifted to Gwinnett Medical. The hospital or someone failed to do a toxicology test on him. He said his brakes failed. There was no evident to that. Ashley lived three days. We were able to donate her organs to Life Link. We know that three people are living on because of her donations.
He pled guilty to vehicular homicide on March 1 2007. He was sentenced to 20 years with 7 years to serve. He never gave an explanation for his restless actions.
I kept flowers, signs, and a cross up at the place of the accident for one year. This year on the first anniversary of the accident we had a candle light service. The next week the county or state took down all the signs, cross and flower- leaving one large green cross. A man stopped and told me that he was the Chairman of a Commitee to Keep Hwy 78 beautiful and that whatever I put up there in memory of Ashley it would be taken down by the DOT.
I look over at your sign, the angel and flowers every time I go up or down Hwy 78. I remember when Matt was killed. I did not know the full story. I just had heard bite and pieces. I guess I just stay so busy to try to keep from feeling the lost of my precious angel. We looked over about several weeks ago and the sign Believe was knocked over. I told my granddaughter we would have to stop next time and put the sign back up. The next time we came by someone had stopped to put up the sign. This weekend I noticed that the sign is gone.
I just wanted to take the time to check out to see if there was a web page for Matt. I wanted to let you know that I know your pain and lost. There have been so many senseless deaths of wonderful young people in Gwinnett County and all over. I wanted to share my Ashley's story with you. I am sure you probably have seem the flowers at Hwy 78 and Lake Lucerne Road. We have a common bond that binds us. I BELIEVE AND I REMEBER MATTHEW LANE. ASHLEY AND MATTHEW ARE IN HEAVEN TOGETHER I AM SURE. GRACE, PEACE AND LOVE DIANE BAGLEY, THE GRANDMOTHER OF ASHLEY MARIE BOWEN
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I will never forget all the Halloween's spent getting you all dressed up and taking you out to trick or treat!! We miss you!
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