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| My reunion with Memori Dooley Dobbs on April 17, 2026, in Fairmont, WV. |
On May 27, 1978, I was a young state trooper on highway patrol when a car careened off of an Interstate 79 bridge that crossed over the Montour Railroad in Cecil Township.
When I arrived, I noticed a mangled car in the ravine that had fallen 53 feet and landed on its roof. There were no signs of life as Frederick Mark D. Dooley, the 22-year-old driver; his 19-year-old wife, Karen Hines Dooley; and his mother, Juanita Ruth Hines Dooley, had died. I was with a group of bystanders and first responders when we heard the faint cry of a baby. We jumped into action, and while others lifted the car, I reached in and pulled a tiny baby from the wreckage. This strong little survivor was six-month old Memori Dooley. She was rushed to Canonsburg Hospital, where she was treated for a hip injury.
It turns out that the Dooley family had left Fairmont at about 4 a.m. and were headed to Cleveland, Ohio for a family wedding on this Memorial Day weekend. They planned to meet family at the Bridgeville exit so they could continue on together, but I believe Frederick Mark Dooley fell asleep at the wheel at 5:30 a.m., just before they were to make that first stop.
After the accident and the initial shock, the Dooley and Hines families held funerals for three members of their family. Their only saving grace and hope was a little miracle named Memori.
Although many years have passed, I always wondered what had happened to the little baby girl from the wreck. Several months ago, I did some on-line research, and I found an obituary for one of Memori’s aunts that listed the names of several of her relatives. I then reached out to another Aunt Debra Dooley, and she told me that Memori was raised by her maternal grandparents in Fairmont. She gave me Memori's contact information, and we were able to talk on the phone.
Today, after 48 years of wondering, my wife Mary Jeanne and I met Memori for lunch at an Italian restaurant in Fairmont. She was accompanied by her husband Deon Dobbs, their two sons Zyon and Zycheus Dobbs; two aunts Jacqueline Mordecai and Jo Ann Brown; and two uncles Randy Hines and Joe Brown. It made me happy to see that Memori’s life has been filled with the love and support of an amazing family.
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| My reunion with Memori Dooley Dobbs on April 17, 2026, in Fairmont, WV. |
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| Lunch at Muriale's Italian Kitchen in Fairmont, WV. |
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| The reunion: from the left, Jacqueline Mordecai, Jo Ann Brown, Zyon Dobbs, Randy Hines, Zycheus Dobbs, my wife Mary Jeanne Maggi and me, Memori, Deon Dobbs, and Joe Brown. |
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| The Washington Observer-Reporter May 30, 1978 Cara Sapida of WPXI traveled to Fairmont to cover the reunion. Channel 11 Exclusive: Woman rescued from crash as a baby in 1978 reunited with man who saved her - WPXI |
Larry Maggi
Washington County Commissioner
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