A tragedy all around
I wouldn't call Tolly Carr a friend. I would call him a good acquaintance.
The last time I saw him was while Christmas shopping in Sears at Friendly Center.
I congratulated him on his recent promotion to morning co-anchor of the WXII (Channel 12) morning news show. I had followed his career since he worked mornings at a Greensboro radio station WQMG (97.1 FM).
You really had to get up with the chickens, he told me of the 5 a.m. newscast at XII. He could slip in just before 7 a.m. and manage OK at QMG. No way that'd work at the TV station.
I've crossed paths with Tolly several times, including an ethics panel put on by one of his mentors, Denise Franklin, of Wake Forest University's NPR affiliate, WFDD.
I was impressed by his ascension through the ranks at WXII and his growth as a journalist, from a fledgling sports reporter to a news guy. He was obviously a hard worker. He'd do his morning shifts and return to help with Friday night football or basketball.
He had a natural ease in front of the camera and a very quick wit. He was so good with his co-workers that you actually believed these guys liked each other. Even Carr's brotherly pokes at WXII's wacky comedian/traffic reporter, Jennie Stencel, were gentle and never mean-spirited.
You've seen one awkward stab at Happy Talk on morning TV you’ve seen 'em all. But this was different. The banter wasn't forced, and Channel 12, sensing a good thing, began to aggressively promote its a.m. cast.
Now Carr's career at WXII seems all but over. A pickup truck Carr was driving ran off the street in Winston-Salem Sunday morning and struck and killed a 26-year-old pedestrian, Casey Ryan Bokhoven.
As everybody around here knows by now, Carr has been charged with driving while impaired. Police said he admitted to having had drinks earlier and said he smelled of alcohol.
It was hard watching his co-workers struggle through today's newscast with pained looks on their faces. This morning's "Big Story": "Anchor involved in fatal accident."
I told my journalism students today that Carr's case ought to be a lesson, a cautionary tale about the carelessness and consequences.
"Think about the next time you tell yourself, 'It won't happen to me." " I told them.
"How many of you could that have been?"
It can happen to any of us, including those of us who are more accustomed to reporting about people's mistakes.
I grieve for the young man who lost his life Sunday morning and I grieve for Tolly Carr.
I didn't say anything to my students about the abject foolishness and danger of drinking and driving. I didn't need to.
Comments (12)
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Allen, I think you've said very well pretty much all that can be said about Mr. Carr above.
Wanted also to commend you on a great editorial today. I agree and also can't understand why Guilford co. citizens would be so cynical about their government and also share your wonderment on "why can't we just move on."
Great suggestion about simply voting the bums out. I'll just vote out Dot Kearns and Deena Hayes at the next election. Duh...why didn't I think of that?
Thanks N&R.
Posted on March 13, 2007 9:02 AM
Gotta hand it to you. Great description of Tolly. I watched last night and could tell his coworkers had little sleep the night before.
A tragedy all the way around.
I believe that good can still come from tragedy like this. Hopefully, Tolly will still be able to use his talents to help others in some way.
Posted on March 13, 2007 1:35 PM
Thanks, guys. I'm hoping Tolly will recover from this. It wouldn't be a tragic waste if he doesn't.
Posted on March 13, 2007 4:10 PM
I hope so, too, Allen, but I'm not sure that he can. I can't see any news organization giving him a job after this and in all likelihood, he's going to prison.
Hopefully, I'm wrong, but I suspect this tragedy will ruin Tolly Carr's life, too.
Posted on March 14, 2007 8:59 AM
I heard rumors on another message board that Tolly Carr committed suicide. I hope thats not true. I havent seen anything on the news about it
Posted on March 14, 2007 3:50 PM
I heard the same rumor about Tolly Carr committing suicide from the grapevine. I'm really not suprised. I wouldn't want to face what he is facing. I wish the man that killed my father in a wreck had done the same thing.
Posted on March 14, 2007 4:24 PM
Terrible tragedy, feel for all involved. Hopefully Tolly can get make something good come of this event. Try to keep others from commiting the same mistake. Unfortunately, these type of acidents happen all the time. A lot of negative, hateful and heartless remarks have i read. I am glad i learned my lesson without killing anyone myself, so i remain non judgemental, especially when judgment is not reserved for me to make. Keep all eyes on me and my actions, and save my negative and pius comments until i myself am perfect...
Posted on March 14, 2007 7:41 PM
Grieve for the family of the person Tolly killed. Grieve for Casey. Grieve for Sean. Grieve for the hundreds of people who loved Casey. Do not grieve for Tolly Carr. He did a stupid thing. He thought he was invincible. I can promise you that whatever news station does give him a job, I will never (along with a huge amount of other folks) watch that station again. This man killed young Casey Bokhoven. He deserves no sympathy.
Posted on March 15, 2007 8:08 PM
I didn't know Tolly Carr. I've watched him since I moved back home to Winston Salem in November 2006 and enjoy the entire newscast. He made bad decisions and is responsible for his actions, but he and the rest of the new cast are just every day people, like us, doing a job just like most of us do every day. When we make mistakes in life, we do the best to get over them and move on. We surely don't need to be kicked when we're down. I think we should just pray for everyone envolved, and that includes Tolly. Like everyone has said, it could happen to many of us. You don't have to be drinking to kill someone in a car accident, but the results would still be the same, so let's not judge anyone here and maybe something good will come out of all of this.
Posted on March 16, 2007 8:56 AM
Are you guys kidding me on the crap, I hope Tolly can get over this and move on? He deserves to suffer in prison. The guy hasn't even apologized yet, because an apology is admitting guilt, and of course his high dollar lawyers won't allow that. Which, let me add, where was all this money for a cab fare??? He deserves a severe punishment.
God bless Casey and his family and friends.
Posted on March 16, 2007 9:11 AM
I am "nameless" from last night here. I'm not nameless anymore.
I don't really want to say any more than this: Just because you guys may have "know" Tolly..seen him out a few times, whatever...maybe that's why you have sympathy for him. I have none whatsoever. I don't think anyone should feel sorry for him. He killed Casey. End of story.
Posted on March 16, 2007 2:47 PM
did it seem like to you he had a fever for kimberly or was it my imangination
Posted on March 10, 2009 11:47 PM