The family of an Arkansan killed in a wreck Tuesday on Arkansas 70 has stepped forward to tell the story of their "Southwest angel," an airline representative who they say went beyond the call of duty, the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record reported.
Charles Gold, 79, was driving back to Hot Springs from Little Rock after dropping his wife, Charlotte Gold, off at the airport when he veered across the center turn lane, collided with an International truck and was then struck by a pickup, according to Arkansas State Police.
At the time of the crash, Charlotte Gold was boarding an airplane to Phoenix.
Susan Campbell, Charles Gold's sister-in-law, said a witness to the wreck was able to reach the Golds' daughter, who then called Southwest Airlines in Little Rock in an attempt to stop her mother from boarding the airplane.
The airplane was preparing for takeoff but had not yet departed.
Campbell said Gwen Haniff, station manager in Little Rock for Southwest Airlines, was informed of the situation and met Charlotte Gold at the gate and told her what had occurred.
"It just so happened that Gwen had met Charlotte when she was boarding the plane, so she knew who she was and they got Charlotte off the plane," Campbell said. "She told her, 'Your husband was in a terrible accident, they're airlifting him to UAMS, and I'm going to take you there.' And she stayed with her the entire time."
Gold was airlifted to the emergency room at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs instead of UAMS. He was pronounced dead before he could be stabilized, and his wife was still in Little Rock.
"We called Charlotte to let her know and said we would come to get her immediately. Gwen would not agree — she wanted to personally bring Charlotte home," Campbell said. "She helped Charlotte as she spoke with her children and then delivered her home."
"This was just one of those things, you just don't expect to have that kind of treatment from anybody," Campbell said, "and I think Gwen does things like this every day. You can just tell the kind of human being she is."
