Better Times — The Blevins-Childress family from a family photo taken about nine years ago. Pictured are Billy Childress, the late Rickey Blevins, Sarah Blevins, Sarah Childress and the late Tammy Childress.

COPING with tragedy — Pictured in a photo taken Monday are Billy Childress, Sarah Blevins and Sarah Childress.

Family copes with loss after tragic wreck

The Blevins-Childress family is coping with the recent tragic loss of two of its members about as well as could be expected. Support from the community has helped.

"It's rough," said Sarah Blevins of Ennice, who lost her husband and one of her daughters in a vehicle crash two months ago today, Feb. 11.

Rickey Blevins, who was 44, and 13-year-old Tammy Childress were killed in the accident, while 16-year-old Sarah Childress was seriously injured and spent almost two weeks at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (N.C. Baptist) in Winston-Salem. She was initially listed in critical condition in that hospital's intensive care unit.

All three were passengers in Sarah Blevins' Ford minivan.

A sophomore at Alleghany High School, Sarah Childress was expected to start back at school Tuesday for half a day, her mother said. She will attend for half the day for the rest of the school year.

"She's doing a lot better," Sarah Blevins said.

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