PFC Dustin Lee Lowe had joined the National Guard in Cumberland Co. TN in December 2006. He was preparing to leave for training in April 2007, very excited about his Military Career. He would have been training along with his battle buddy Sean Strock to do electrical engineering on Apache Helicopter's. On February 1, 2007 Dustin had been to Cookeville, TN with a friend, Derek Parrott, on the way back from Cookeville, TN in the early morning hours of February 2, 2007, Derek was driving under the influence at a high rate of speed, when he hit the back of a Salt Truck causing the vehicle he was driving to loose control and flip several times ejecting the driver Derek Parrott of Crossville, TN. On I-40 West Cumberland Co. TN mile marker 306, Killing passenger PFC Dustin Lee Lowe. Dustin was pinned in the vehicle and died from blunt force trauma at the scene.
Derek is being charged with Vehicular Homicide by intoxication and Vehicular Homicide by recklessness. The court cases keep being continued, and the next date is January 25, 2008.
I know so much about this story because PFC Dustin Lee Lowe is my son. His life was taken in such a senseless act. It was not Dustin's normal behavior to ride with someone who was drinking. He and Derek grew up as friends, knew each other since they were 4 years old. Even though my son was riding with Derek, for what reason we still don't know and may never know, Dustin did not deserve to be killed. Derek has been in trouble many times with the law, but Dustin always had hopes that he could be a positive influence on him, even tried to get him into the National Guard but Derek's police record would not allow him to join.
Dustin was so excited about his career in the Military, at the direction of Sgt. Kilby from the Cumberland Co. National Guard. Sgt. Kilby took Dustin under his wing and was working to prepare him for training, and Dustin had the utmost respect for Sgt. Lonnie Kilby.
One of the reasons I am writing this is because, there has been very little publicity for this case in Cumberland Co. and hasn't been any mention of it since February 2007. Derek Parrott, the driver is still driving, still has a driver's license, and since the murder of my son, has received another DUI among other charges. He was also charged with aggravated assault on a female, who dropped charges. There needs to be something done. Derek and his friends continue to harass our family and friends and we did not do anything to his family, HE took MY son from me and away from my daughter and many other family members and friends. I believe if there is more publicity to this case maybe the DA will push harder to get more done a little sooner, I don't want Derek left to run the roads and end up killing someone else. No family should ever have to suffer the way ours has over loosing Dustin. Thank you for whatever you can do to help.
Thank You,
Rebecca Brown