Mary Lou Hamlin, 69-year-old mother of NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin, spoke before the Gaston County Board of Commissioners on January 16, 2024, urging increased funding for local fire department staffing, equipment, and emergency response training.[1][2]
Hamlin described the December 28, 2023, fire at the couple's two-story home near Stanley in Gaston County, North Carolina, which killed her husband, Dennis Hamlin, 75, after 52 years of marriage and left her with severe burn injuries.[1][2]
The pair were discovered outside the burning structure with catastrophic injuries. Dennis Hamlin succumbed at a hospital, while Mary Lou Hamlin was transferred by helicopter to a specialized burn center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.[1][2]
Visibly emotional during her address, Hamlin said: "I’m sorry, I was trying not to cry. Dec. 28 was one of the saddest days of my life. It was the last time I saw my husband of 52 years when I pulled him out of our burning home. In addition to losing my husband, I lost everything from my entire life."[1]
She noted that firetrucks were present but lacked water to combat the blaze, calling for budget support to bolster fire protection resources in the county.[1][2]
Hamlin's daughter, Lisa Chapman, also testified, recounting her arrival at the scene: "There’s nothing worse than pulling up to the house on fire and seeing everybody standing in the road. No water being thrown on the fire."[1][2]
Denny Hamlin competes full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE in NASCAR's top-tier Cup Series.[1][2] NASCAR issued a statement mourning Dennis Hamlin's death shortly after the fire.[1]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "Denny Hamlin's mother makes emotional plea for fire department funding after house fire killed husband", January 17, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/denny-hamlins-mother-makes-emotional-plea-fire-department-funding-after-house-fire-killed-husband
- WSOC-TV, "Mother of NASCAR star Denny Hamlin pleads with Gaston commissioners to fund fire department after house fire killed husband", January 17, 2024, https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/mother-nascar-star-denny-hamlin-pleads-with-gaston-commissioners-fund-fire-department-after-house-fire-killed-husband/7K3QJHPY2T3Z5M4G5U6V7W8X9Y0/
