GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Greensboro family is grappling with an unimaginable loss—the tragic death of Priscilla Keene. Her husband, Travis, described her as the heart of their family, the glue that held everything together.
"I feel like less of a person without her here, because she made me a good person,” Travis Bayne said while tears streamed down his face.
Today marks three weeks since Keene was killed in a hit-and-run in Greensboro.
"She was an angel walking this earth. And she changed my life forever, and she was stolen from me. And at this point I'm more angry than anything else,” Travis said.
The early morning of October 26 around 12:29 a.m. changed everything. Travis was driving home with his wife, Priscilla, and their four-year-old son after picking Priscilla up from work at World of Beer. They were just minutes away from home.
“It was Friday night, so the kids didn't have school in the morning, so they were up. And the only reason I was driving her home was because the other car needed rotors and brakes. So we were talking about what we were gonna cook, and we were laughing because she said something, I can't remember exactly what she said, and she was like, ‘I love you.’ And she was like, and I was like, 'I love you forever, too, baby.' And she was like, 'I'll love you forever.' And literally, she leaned over and gave me a kiss, and I swear to God, as soon as she gave me a kiss, all of a sudden, boom, lights out. That's what happened."
Greensboro police said a car hit them from behind, forcing them off the highway and into a guardrail. Priscilla was thrown from the car. GPD said it happened on I-40 East. Officers found the suspect’s abandoned 2014 Infiniti but are still looking for the driver.
"I remember telling her, I said, 'Please, honey, I'm hurt. I know you're hurt, but please fight because we have three kids.' And I was like, 'Please don't die on me,’” Travis said.
Carol, Priscilla's mother-in-law, said she was the light of every room and a dedicated mom. Carol said their three kids are facing the biggest challenge of their young lives.
“The oldest one … she's, she's broken down probably more than anybody,” Carol said. “She's 11, so that's a crucial age to be in middle school, but, you know, we're just going to try to take it day by day is all we can and just encourage them, you know, to remember things about her. You know, if they see a flower or color, anything that reminds them, you know, we want them to talk about it.”
Travis has several broken bones and is facing a long road to recovery. He worries about how he will provide for their three kids while he heals. But he said the true wounds can't heal until the hit-and-run driver is found.
"We were just riding down the road, and you took someone from us that was very special,” Travis said. “And I have three kids that do not have a mother, and I can't fix that for them. And as a father, you want to be able to fix stuff for your kids, and I can't fix this, but I'm begging you to just please tell the truth."
Saturday, the World of Beer where Priscilla worked held a fundraiser for her and will be giving a portion of that money to the family to help them during this very difficult time.
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