Austin Harmon, a 26-year-old from North Carolina, received a prison sentence of 20 to 30 years for a drunk driving crash that killed a father and his two children in a golf cart. The incident occurred on June 13, 2022, near Statesville on Fort Dobbs Road. He was convicted of three counts each of felony death by vehicle and felony serious injury by vehicle, plus driving while impaired.​
Crash Details
Harmon drove a Honda Accord with a blood alcohol level of 0.12—above the legal limit of 0.08—and veered into oncoming traffic, striking a golf cart carrying Michael Marlowe, 39, his children Bentley, 5, and Jada, 13, plus three others. Marlowe’s fiancée, Amy Mills, threw their 2-year-old daughter from the cart moments before impact, saving the child; Mills, the toddler, and a 16-year-old suffered serious injuries.​
Trial and Sentencing
The two-week trial ended December 15, 2025, with a jury convicting Harmon after six hours of deliberation. Defense attorney Kaleigh Darty noted his remorse, stating he wished to undo the tragedy, while victims’ family members like Jada’s mother, Savannah Boltz, and Michael’s father, Ed Marlowe, expressed profound grief during sentencing.​
Victim Tributes
Bentley Marlowe had recently graduated preschool and enjoyed swimming, bowling, and Spiderman. Jada was remembered as forgiving, with her mother relaying her wish for Harmon to “be good for Jada.” GoFundMe campaigns supported the surviving family members.
