Eighteen months after losing three loved ones in a tragic wreck on Interstate 77, four members of the Dollyhigh family returned to Hillsville for a special ceremony at the Hillsville Volunteer Fire Department.

On March 22, 2008, Isa Dollyhigh, her mother Coleen Dollyhigh, and Isa’s husband Jorge Guerra were killed after the driver off a Chevrolet Silverado lost control on Interstate 77, crossed the median and struck a 1996 Toyota Rav4 sport utility vehicle head-on the three were traveling in near the 8-mile marker northbound.

In the period after the accident, Hillsville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Musser said the family came to the local fire department to address the membership. At that time, Musser said they gave the department a monetary donation in honor of their deceased family members. During that time, HVFD also had a grant pending through the state for extrication equipment and defibrillators.

“We told them at that time if we were successful with the grant we would take that funding they donated to us and apply it to the cash match,” Musser said. “As it turned out, this past July we were awarded a grant from state for the equipment we applied for.”

Musser said the department used the money from the family toward the cash match required for the grant, which enabled HVFD to obtain a set of rescue jacks and two defibrillators. Danny Dollyhigh, Kathy Dollyhigh, Terry Marcum and Dina Dollyhigh — Isa Dollyhigh’s siblings and Coleen Dollyhigh’s children — were on hand for a special ceremony at the department on Sept. 22 as the equipment was dedicated in their honor. They were also at Bert’s Garage to witness the department train with the new equipment.

“It was an emotional night,” Musser said. “I think the family was very touched by it.”

Marcum said the family was extremely moved by the gesture. She said the Hillsville Volunteer Fire Department has been a blessing to the family over a difficult 18-month period.

“When we went and donated money last year to them and thanked them for all they did for us and our family, they told us they were going to try to apply for a grant and use it for equipment. But I never really thought we would hear from them,” Marcum said. “But Sergeant Musser has been wonderful. He has just been a blessing and he contacted us to see if we could be present. It was very touching.”

While her siblings were “gung-ho” about going to the ceremony, Marcum said she was hesitant at first.

“Every reminder is very difficult,” said a tearful Marcum, “but that was a terrific bunch of guys. We got to meet the medic that attended to my family. I didn’t think I would want to see the training, but I am glad I went. My brother and one sister were all gung ho and I said, ‘I don’t know if I can do that.’ But I am glad I went now. You just don’t think about all they do at an accident scene, but they showed us what all they did and we are just very appreciative. They just do a fabulous job and they are certainly a blessing to our community.”

Musser said the rescue jacks are specially-designed equipment used to stabilize vehicles that have been involved in an accident. He said the jacks keep vehicles from turning over and help create a stable platform for rescue workers to operate, particularly when someone has suffered a spinal injury.

“You have to make sure the vehicle is stabilized to prevent further injury to victim,” Musser said. “It will be a great help to us because what it will enable us to do is to get stabilization accomplished in a faster and safer manner. We traditionally have had to rely on what is called cribbing — wooden blocks that you basically build up underneath the vehicle to stabilize it. These new pieces of equipment are designed to create a more sturdy foundation to operate off of.”

The Dollyhighs looked on as members of the Hillsville Fire Department trained with the new equipment at Bert’s Garage in Hillsville later that evening. Musser said Matlock’s Salvage donated vehicles for the training and Bert’s provided the equipment to transport the vehicles and to stage them for the training. He said the grant was authored by county grantwriter Brenda Marrah and local firefighter Matt Akers. The department received a grant of approximately $8,000, which the department had to match. Judging by the initial training, Musser said the new equipment will serve the department very well.

“Absolutely. We were really impressed by the capabilities of that equipment and how fast it can be set up and secured,” Musser said. “I’d like to thank the Dollyhigh family and re-emphasize that we do a large portion of our services off of donations from the community and the grants we are able to obtain.”