Honoring Heads' legacy

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  • A line of emergency vehicles nearly a mile long escorted Macon County Sheriff’s Office corporal David Head’s body to Scaly Mountain Volunteer Fire Department where a celebration of life service was held on Thursday.
    A line of emergency vehicles nearly a mile long escorted Macon County Sheriff’s Office corporal David Head’s body to Scaly Mountain Volunteer Fire Department where a celebration of life service was held on Thursday.
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The community turned out in droves to say goodbye to David and Dawn Head on Thursday.

Dozens of emergency vehicles from law enforcement agencies, fire departments and EMS services lined up to escort the Heads to the Scaly Mountain Volunteer Fire Department.

Along the way, hundreds of supporters gathered along US 441 and NC 106 to pay their respects to the Macon County Sheriff’s Office corporal and his loving wife, who were killed in a motor vehicle accident on May 23.

“To see how many people took time out of their day to come out and honor David and Dawn Head was something special, and I don’t really know how to put into words what it means to all of us at the sheriff’s office and to the Head family,” Macon County Sheriff Robert Holland said. “David would have been proud. He loved his family, his community and he loved his job.”

The Heads were killed when their Harley-Davidson Motorcycle was involved in a five-vehicle accident in Clayton, Georgia on May 23. The driver who allegedly crossed the centerline and caused the accident, Tristan Bartlett, 22, was arrested and charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle, driver’s exercise of due care and failure to maintain lane.

During the celebration of life service, Rev. Oliver Rice called David Head a devout Christian man, who lived his life to honor God.

“I believe he loved God with all my heart,” Rice said. “The life we live here determines the life we will live after death. I’ll tell you right now, you will see him again.”

Dawn Head was remembered as a doting mom, who made a lasting impact on those who knew her. She was an active community member and always willing to go above and beyond to help those in need.

“My mom is my hero,” daughter Sidney Sanborn said. “You learn how to love and how to support from your parents from the day you are born… I know she is watching us right now and smiling.”

The Heads left behind four children. A fund set up to assist with future education expenses for the children was created at www.gofundme.com and can be found by searching “David and Dawn Head Children’s Education Fund.”

During the service the children were given an American flag in honor of their parents’ memory and were presented with David’s duty badge. A “last call” was made from Macon County dispatch over the radio to acknowledge David Head’s passing.

The Franklin Press reporter Jake Browning contributed to this report.