Father of woman killed in wrong-way crash on I-440 wants to honor daughter through clothing line

Lawrence Powell describes his daughter Bianca Powell as a funny, lively free spirit. She loved fashion and traveling and lived by the motto: You Only Live Once.

She was one of four people killed in a wrong-way crash on I-440 over the weekend.

That’s a reality still difficult to accept for Lawrence Powell.

“A parent never wants to bury their child,” he told WRAL exclusively. “To bury my child is heartbreaking; it's very traumatic.”

WRAL asked Lawrence Powell if his family knew whether the crash involved drunk driving. He said there was limited information he could share.

“One of the officers did tell me there was some alcohol involved,” he said.

WRAL reached out to Raleigh police and asked if officers are investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the crash and the procedure for addressing wrong-way drivers.

The department responded, saying “The circumstances surrounding the crash are still under investigation. At this time, we do not have any additional information to release.”

Lawrence Powell said he and his family are mourning the loss of Bianca Powell. He said she had a clothing line. He plans to continue cultivating that and put something else in her name to honor her.

“You never know when your life is going to get cut short, just like that,” he said.