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'I woke up a widower' | Husband forced to raise kids alone after deadly crash

High Point police say Christina Gliford wasn’t wearing her seatbelt when she got into a crash on NC-68

GREENSBORO, N.C. — An unimaginable tragedy took Justin Gliford's wife Christina Gliford from him and left him to raise two of the children they have together, alone.   

"Today I woke up walked in the mirror and said I'm a widower," said Justin Gliford. "I'm a single parent and I don't know what to do."

Christina Gliford fell asleep while driving to pick her son up from school and rear-ended someone on NC 68 at Premier Drive.  

High Point police said she wasn't wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene.  

In North Carolina deadly crashes resulting from passengers not wearing a seatbelt jumped 20% from 2019-to 2022.  

An issue Justin Gliford feels strongly about. 

"If she was wearing a seatbelt we could be talking differently," Justin Gliford said. "We have to raise awareness that if you're tired don't get behind the wheel and please wear a seatbelt." 

Police said fatigue and Christina Gliford not wearing a seatbelt were the cause of her death.  

Christina Gliford's six kids have a long road of acceptance ahead. 

"I think about the future and there's going to be the first Christmas, the first Thanksgiving all the first of her not going to be here," said Justin Gliford. 

Justin Gliford said his wife was a fighter and made so many sacrifices for her family.  

"Super mom super wife," said Justin Gliford. "She made a lot of sacrifices before she passed. She was a wonderful woman she had no bad bone she married a bad boy she was the sweetheart that tamed me." 

His sweetheart of 17 years is no longer here physically but Justin says he knows she's with him in spirit.  

"I feel her putting her hand on my shoulder and saying it's okay," Justin Gilford said. 

Justin works at Woods of Terror in Greensboro. 

When the haunted amusement heard about this tragedy they stepped up to support the family.

They created a Gofundme to support Justin Gilford's family.   

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