Aidan Murphy
Fontana – New details have emerged to clarify what caused a 22-year-old driver crash into Cheoah Lake on July 15.
The initial call placed by a passing motorist around 2:30 p.m. indicated that 22-year-old Davidson resident Aidan Francis Murphy had “spun out of control” while navigating a sharp curve on N.C 28 in Swain County before plunging into the water.
However, several eyewitness accounts are included in an official, updated report that paints a completely different picture than first reported. According to those who witnessed the tragic accident, Murphy experienced a “medical episode,” causing the 2011 Volkswagen GTI he was driving to cross the centerline and leave the roadway, travel down an embankment and into the water. His obituary from Crisp Funeral Home in Bryson City – where Murphy was taken following the recovery of the vehicle – said Murphy suffered a seizure moments before the wreck.
One eyewitness statement sent last week to The Graham Star included a screenshot of a post made on a family member’s Facebook page, indicating that Murphy was en route to Tennessee for a car show when the accident occurred. The post also speculated that Murphy’s vehicle was only traveling 10 mph when it left the roadway.
Murphy was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. Officials with Graham County Emergency Medical Services, the Graham County Rescue Squad, N.C. Highway Patrol and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission pulled the Volkswagen from the lake around 5:15 p.m. July 15.
Murphy’s obituary said he was a graduate of William A. Hough High School in Cornelius, where he excelled in football and lacrosse.
The obituary later said he had planned a year-long fishing excursion with friends to New Zealand.
A memorial service was held July 25 at Grace Covenant Church in Cornelius, with a celebration of life following at the Brickhouse Tavern in Davidson. The obituary included a request from the family that in lieu of flowers, donations could be made in Murphy’s memory to the Cornelius Animal Shelter.