'Forever Damaged:' Widow Recalls Her Husband's Death, Father's Day 2023, By Suspected Drunk Driver

Adam Benson and Hannah Huffstickler

5 hours ago

Photo courtesy: Ana Brown

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) — One year ago on Father's Day, three young children lost their father after a violent crash that police say involved a drunk driver.

Thomas Brown, 41, of Longs, was killed in a two-car crash off Robert Edge Parkway. His vehicle was crushed after Nancy Bishop's vehicle landed on it.

Bishop, authorities said, had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit at the time, and investigators found an open container of wine as well as a cup containing a liquid “consistent with the contents of the bottle of wine,” according to a police officer. report.

Brown's widow, Ana, said the family was celebrating Father's Day at a local park before going to dinner on what would be their last day together.

“Last year my children didn't understand what death was, and having to learn it in such a horrible way that it took months to understand how permanent it was, that it wouldn't come back,” Ana told News13 on Sunday. “I mean, it's a never-ending, never-ending list of horrible, horrible experiences since my husband was killed.”

Two of the Browns' three children, ages 6, 5 and 1 at the time of Thomas' death, are autistic.

“They miss their father every day. Especially the oldest. She remembers him very well,” Ana Brown said.

Bishop faces two misdemeanor drunk driving charges related to the June 18, 2023, wreck. She is out on $100,000 bail, but is being monitored by GPS while awaiting her next court appearance.

On June 10, a judge denied his request to remove the device, although it could be resubmitted in 90 days.

A GoFundMe page launched shortly after Thomas' death raised more than $13,000. And in February, Ana Brown received a $175,000 settlement from a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Bishop, according to court documents.

“She destroyed us in so many ways, and my body was forever damaged by what she did to us,” said Ana Brown, who was also seriously injured in the crash.

Brown says she wants to honor her husband's memory by uniting against drunk driving, hoping to remind people of the lasting impact a careless decision can have.

“My husband can never be brought back to life, but if we can prevent others from making the same bad decisions, then his life would not have been in vain,” she said.