STATESVILLE, N.C. — The first testimonies in an Iredell County courtroom happened Wednesday for a driver accused of hitting a golf cart and killing a father and his children in June 2022.
The family is frustrated it’s taken years to get to this point.
Prosecutors said the suspect was drunk and had used drugs before the crash.
It has been more than three years since Michael Marlowe and two of his children died in the crash along Fort Dobbs Road.
The family, along with three others, were in a golf cart when Austin Harmon crossed the centerline in his car and struck them, prosecutors said.
Harmon’s blood alcohol level later tested at 0.12, which is above the 0.8 legal limit.
Savannah Boltz is the mother of 13-year-old Jada Marlowe who died days later at a hospital.
Harmon was charged with three counts of felony death by motor vehicle, DWI and three counts of serious injury by a vehicle.
During opening statements, defense attorneys asked the jury to keep an open mind saying the golf cart didn’t have safety features to be on the road and claimed that the father drank a beer at a restaurant earlier.
Two first responders testified about arriving at the horrific scene.
Ashleigh Hawkins, with Iredell Emergency Services, said 5-year-old Bentley was dead at the scene.
Teagan Murphy, who is 19 now, was a close friend of Jada and was on the golf cart but told the jury she didn’t remember any part of the crash.
“I had a brain injury, and I have scars on my body,” Murphy said.
Defense attorneys also told the jury that Harmon made an 911 call after the crash where he claimed the golf cart pulled out in front of him.
We don’t know if he’ll take the stand in this case.
VIDEO: 13-year-old passenger dies week after car hits golf cart killing father, son
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
