BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The Brevard County community is remembering a mother of three who died in a crash in May.
A truck’s tire blew out along I-95 near Pineda Causeway on May 26, hitting the SUV that Olivia Maggs was driving.
Her three young children were riding with her, including her 8-month-old daughter, Ella, who was taken to the hospital with a broken femur and brain bleed. She’s now back home with family.
News 6 anchor Crystal Moyer spoke with Maggs’ dad, Pastor John Wright, and brother, Aaron Wright, at Park Avenue Baptist Church in Titusville. They said they don’t want Olivia to be defined by one tragic moment.
“To meet Olivia is to experience kindness and compassion. It was part of who she was. It’s part of her nature,” said Aaron Wright.
“She would be extremely uncomfortable with a lot of attention. She didn’t enjoy that at all. She loved well, she cared deeply. Whether it was a patient, delivery, or friend, it was big in her heart. She enjoyed her job,” said Pastor Wright.
Maggs was a pediatric nurse at Parrish Medical Center. She died at the young age of 32. Her family is now finding comfort in faith and her children.
“Holding a baby version of Olivia, it’s difficult, but special, too. In Jude, the oldest, is Olivia. He’s tender-hearted and kind and smart. Just reminds us of Olivia. Noah has that aspect of loving life,” said Pastor Wright. “All three of them have her DNA and soul DNA, and it’s healing to be around them.”
It’s a long road to healing for this family, but they are grateful for their supportive community, especially the men and women who stepped in to help during the crash.
“There were folks working on extracting the kids, but once they got the kids out there were loving women who were cleaning them up and washing airbag debris out of their eyes... The kids were terrified but clinging to the women,” said Aaron Wright.
A GoFundMe account was created to help support Olivia’s husband, Cody and their three children. A fundraiser is also being held in Olivia’s honor on July 26 at Long Doggers in Rockledge, located at 1970 Viera Boulevard at 11 a.m.
“There will be a bounce house for the kids, corn hole tournament, great food. We’ll be selling shirts honoring Olivia,” said Aaron Wright. “Not that we want this to be a particularly sad event. We’d like it to be a family-oriented celebration of who Olivia was and how much she meant to the community.”
“The way the community has hurt for us and hurt with us and prayed for us especially Cody and Olivia’s smaller community. It enables my wife and I to be grandparents. They’re such a blessing. I would say it’s very evident the community has hurt with us and it’s a big deal,” said Pastor Wright. “It’s a church family that’s walked us through this before. They’re doing it again.”
In 1998, the Wright family mourned the loss of their eldest son, Christopher after a long battle with cancer. Pastor Wright said Park Avenue Church supported the family through that tough time and once again is surrounding the family with love during this difficult time.
“Through this unexplainable family tragedy, we’ve still seen God do some amazing things,” said Pastor Wright.