Phil Paxson was on his way home on September 30th after celebrating his daughter’s birthday. The 47-year-old father of two was alone, as his wife was with his two daughters in a separate vehicle. At some point during the drive, Paxson made a wrong turn and never returned home.
The following morning, officials responded to a report of a car in a creek and found Paxson in the vehicle – which was upside down and underwater. He was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind his wife, Alicia Paxson, and two daughters – one of which just had a birthday.
It was later learned that Phil was following directions on his GPS, which led him to a bridge that had been washed up and destroyed back in 2013. Since the bridge hadn’t been repaired in nearly 10 years, Phil’s vehicle drove right off the edge and into the river below, where he died.
His wife, Alicia, is questioning why the bridge hasn’t been repaired and, most importantly, why there were no roadblocks or signs to stop him from driving through. “Like, why do my kids have to have no dad now, you know? Who’s responsible? Somebody is responsible,” she asked.
Alicia cited several articles on her Facebook page, some of which dated back to 2014, that urged the county to do something about the bridge. For nine years, the bridge was ignored and solutions were avoided. And now, a family is without a father after he paid the consequence.
“When it was time to go, we packed up all the decorations, he packed up the van, and he loaded the girls into the van,” she said. “He took a left, and I took a right, and that was his mistake. One wrong turn, and now he’s gone,” Alicia explained to PEOPLE in an interview.
“Phil put his family first and his friends, almost equal, second. He was larger than life, always ready for an adventure, with a permanent smile on his face, he would give you the shirt off his back or talk you out of the one on yours,” his obituary explained, adding to the heartbreak.
Who’s Responsible for the Death of Phil Paxson?
One of the biggest questions surrounding the death of Phil Paxson is who’s responsible – and we don’t really have an answer right now. Many people are pointing the finger at local and/or state officials, but reports indicate it was controlled by a property management company.
The report added that the developer’s company had dissolved, but the property management company was reviewing the matter with their legal team early in the week – though the original owner of the company is no longer with them. Unfortunately, that just brings more questions.
What we do know is the community was calling for the bridge to be fixed or removed ever since it washed away. “This was a known hazard. 2014!! Just an accident waiting to happen. Phil had to lose his life to bring awareness,” said Alicia on Facebook, sharing an article from 2014.
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If you’d like to support the family in this desperate time of need, they started a GoFundMe account to help pay for his funeral services, which has already received nearly $30,000. They’ve also scheduled Phil Paxson’s celebration of life for Saturday, October 8th.
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