‘From tragic to almost unbearable’: Memorial growing, city leaders step up to help after CMPD officer killed during crash investigation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Flowers. Ribbons. Cards.

A memorial is quickly growing outside the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police University City station.

CMPD, Charlotte leaders and the community are mourning the loss and paying tribute to one of their fallen officers, who died near the start of her shift early Wednesday.

Officer Mia Goodwin was one of CMPD’s beloved officers. She had been with the department since 2015.

She was just on her fifth day back to work after maternity leave.

Officer Goodwin was killed in a crash involving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 85 around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

According to the CMPD, officers were called to a crash late Tuesday night involving an overturned semi-truck, hauling grain, on I-85 southbound at West WT Harris Boulevard that spilled a load of grain onto the interstate.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the Charlotte Fire Department responded to assist with potentially hazardous material, investigators said.

‘The profession hurts’: CMPD Officer Mia Goodwin dies after crash on I-85 in Charlotte

At 1:03 a.m., a travel lane was opened to allow southbound traffic to bypass the accident, according to the CMPD. Traffic cones were deployed around the work crew and police vehicles with emergency equipment were activated.

Around 3:39 a.m., a semi-truck with a trailer that was heading southbound collided with a second semi-truck, which caused them to strike multiple CMPD vehicles, officers said.

According to the CMPD, Goodwin was pronounced dead on the scene by Medic minutes later due to injuries she sustained. Additionally, three other officers were taken to Atrium Main where they were treated and released, officials said. They were identified as Shannon Foster, Sean Husk and Jackson Buffington.

Officer Goodwin was one of CMPD’s beloved officers, working in the University City Division of Charlotte.

A memorial has been placed outside the station, on a CMPD patrol car.

Goodwin was the first CMPD officer killed in the line of duty since 2011.

Local leaders have responded to her death. They’re also offering help to Officer Goodwin’s family.

At city buildings and fire stations, flags are set at half-staff.

The crash happened in Charlotte City Councilman Malcolm Graham’s district.

“I just feel so bad for her family and her friends and her colleagues at CMPD and the firefighters,” Graham said.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles also shared her sympathies in a video on Twitter.

“We can never take for granted the service of officers in CMPD,” Lyles said.

Charlotte Fire also honored Goodwin.

At Station 5 in Wesley Heights, where her husband Brenton works, the flag was set at half-staff.

Some people in Charlotte put out blue lights to honor her life.

Goodwin has three children, her youngest is just four months old.

“It went from tragic to almost unbearable,” said Charlotte Councilman Tariq Bokhari.

Councilman Bokhari started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the Goodwin family.

“We’re going to need to make sure as a community we come together and set this family up, who spends every day of the year protecting us from fire, from danger,” Bokhari said.

Bokhari’s GoFundMe page has raised more than $130,000.

Another one from Back the Blue has raised more than $170,000.

The Fraternal Order of Police and Charlotte Fire Credit Union is also accepting donations.

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