A Chattanooga family tragedy: Angels among us

I’m supposed to be immune to this.  Every night I’m on TV, talking about tragedies.  Fatal accidents, serious injuries, life-changing catastrophes.  But this one…this one has been on my mind since last Wednesday.

I was driving to the TV station Wednesday morning after meeting with some friends in Hixson.  The parking lot was full, and a delivery truck had me blocked.  I needed to go to the bank anyway, so I turned around and headed for the drive-thru on Cherokee Boulevard.  That took about five minutes, and I headed back to the station.  I saw black smoke in the distance, to my left.  Probably a tire fire, I thought.  Within seconds, it was obvious this was a big fire.  Emergency vehicles were whizzing by me in every direction.  I got out of the way, and when it was safe, I turned left.  I thought at the very least, I could grab a quick pic, or some video in case it was newsworthy.  After all, many times, it’s an abandoned building: a lot of smoke, but no physical harm.

I snapped a couple of photos, and as I was walking back to my car, I heard a man say, “We couldn’t get  ’em out.”  I asked him, “Are there people in there?”  He fought back tears and said, “Yes sir.” I got back in my car, and was about to call the newsroom, when our crew arrived to film the scene.  Throughout the day, I heard bits and pieces from our reporters.  There was a family in the house.  The three children got out safely, but the parents were seriously injured.  They might not make it.  They were severely burned, and had been in that house for a long, long time.  Eyewitnesses shared frightening, graphic details.

I sat down in the studio to read the 5:00 p.m. news.  Some of our stories had been written several hours earlier.  This one was changing frequently, as new details came in.  As I read the fire story, live on the air, I saw their names for the first time.  I saw the photo of them for the first time.  My heart sank.  I know this man.  It’s Randall Lockhart.  A few minutes later, my producer told me in my earpiece, “We have an update on the fire.  David, you’ll be reading it.”  The script said, “We have just learned Candy Lockhart has died from injuries she suffered in the North Chattanooga house fire this morning.  Her husband Randall is being flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, and is in very critical condition.”

Randall and Candy Lockhart with Haley, Mark and Rebecca

Now Randall, too, has passed away.  Close friends and family members had said quietly for days that he didn’t have much of a chance.  The doctors did everything they could, at one of the finest medical centers in the world, but his injuries were too severe to overcome.

I would see Randall two or three times a year.  I first met him at the Bi-Lo on Signal Mountain Road, where he worked in the deli department.  He had told me via Twitter earlier this year that he had landed a job at the new Publix store.  I congratulated him, saying their team would be even better with him on board.  The last time I saw him, he was with his family buying groceries at Bi-Lo, and we would always talk about the Atlanta Braves, a shared passion of his and mine.  He would frequently respond to my social media posts, just recently commenting on our Celebration of Life for Luther Masingill.  In July, he asked my advice on the best way to get to Turner Field.  He got there, for the first time, seeing the game with his son Mark.  He tweeted this picture:

Randall Lockhart with his son Mark, July 2014

Thanks to loving grandparents and caring neighbors, Randall and Candy’s children are in good hands.  I saw Rebecca, Haley and Mark at their grandparents’ home on Friday.  They are beautiful, sweet kids.  I can only imagine the horrible sights and sounds they experienced that day.  The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but it is likely that Candy and Randall sacrificed their own lives to ensure their children made it out safely.  The children escaped with minor, almost unnoticeable injuries.  In a story reported by Matt Barbour on WRCB, we know that Haley was rescued by “an angel,” a young lady who was truly just passing through.

Friends tell me Randall had struggled with serious illness recently, and his mobility was limited.  He was a working man, a loving husband, a devoted dad.  He and his wife tried very hard, and in the end, they did what parents are supposed to do.  They did everything humanly possible to keep their children safe.

Teachers from Red Bank Elementary have been visiting the Lockhart kids ever since the fire.  There’s no doubt in my mind those children will continue to be guided and loved, as they have been all their lives.  Certainly no one can take the place of their parents.  But with the help of a caring community, they will grow into adulthood knowing they were loved and protected by the angels among us.

One Accord Community Church,  343 Sweetland Drive in Red Bank is still accepting donations for the family. No clothing items are needed at this time. However,  other household items are needed.  Gift cards are also welcomed.

The Chattanooga Fire Department Local 820 has also set up an account at all First Tennessee Banks. You can donate to the “Lockhart Relief Fund.”