Belhaven woman remembered as ‘humble’ and ‘kind’

Published 12:05 am Tuesday, February 7, 2017

A Belhaven woman was killed in a Saturday morning car accident in Craven County.

Patricia Cartwright Sparrow, 45, of East Bay Street in Belhaven, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her daughter, Ashley Cartwright. Cartwright failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of River and Nelson roads, colliding with another vehicle driven by Pinetops resident Katharine Burch, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

Cartwright, Burch and Burch’s 16-year-old daughter Sara were transported to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.

Sparrow was employed with Down East Dental Lab in Washington.

“Patricia Cartwright Sparrow was humble, kind, and more than just an employee, coworker, or friend. To us, she was family. She was always positive & had a smile on her face everyday. She loved what she did, and it showed. … She was a special person, and words cannot express how much we’re (going) to miss her,” reads Down East Dental’s Facebook page.

Her father Jack Willard wrote, “We wish to thank all the community for the great outpouring of love and support during our time of loss and time of healing. We will miss her smile. Her horses and her daughter Ashley were the love of her life.”

There is no word on whether charges will be filed. District Attorney Scott Thomas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Willard said the investigation is ongoing, but was unable to comment further.