A tragic golf cart accident in North Carolina has led to the conviction of Austin Ray Harmon, a 26-year-old man, whose actions resulted in the deaths of a father and his two children.

This past Monday, an Iredell County jury delivered a verdict finding Harmon guilty on multiple charges: three counts each of felony death by vehicle and felony serious injury by vehicle. Additionally, Harmon was found guilty of driving while impaired.

The harrowing incident, which occurred on June 13, 2022, involved Harmon crashing into a family of five on a golf cart along Fort Dobbs Road near Statesville. This collision claimed the lives of three individuals.

Among the victims who tragically lost their lives were the father, his children, and three others who sustained serious injuries. Marlowe’s fiancé, Amy Mills, their 2-year-old child, Bailey, and a family friend, 16-year-old Teagan Murphy, were all severely hurt in the devastating crash.

• Michael Shane Marlowe, 39
• Jada Marlowe, 13
• Bentley Marlowe, 5

Marlowe’s fiancé, Amy Mills, along with their 2-year-old child, Bailey, and a family friend, Teagan Murphy, 16, were severely injured in the crash.

“She was so little,” Mills testified about Bailey. “So, I just threw her. I just threw her and hoped for the best.”

Mills lost a part of her leg and spent a month in recovery, WSOC-TV 9 reports.

Police said Harmon had been driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.12 when the crash occurred, according to Iredell Free News.

The defense argued that the golf cart pulled in front of Harmon’s Honda Accord, and that Michael Marlowe had been drinking alcohol hours before the collision.

The prosecution said Harmon crossed a center line and hit the golf cart head-on, while driving under the influence of both drugs and alcohol.

“I seen a baby laying in the road,” Chief Todd Lendernan testified. “I seen one face down that was deceased. I seen another with people working on it, and I seen the mother and they’re yelling, ‘Please get me more tourniquets.’”

The deliberated for around six hours before returning a guilty verdict.

Harmon, who declined to speak during the trial, was reportedly “inconsolable” after the incident, his attorney said.

“He would do anything to go back and undo the events of that day,” attorney Kaleigh Darty said. “He understands the gravity of what was lost to the Marlowe family.”

A judge ordered Harmon to serve 30 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

[Feature Photo: Bentley, Michael, and Jada; Nicholas Funeral Home/Legacy]