Fatal crash reported on night of fire that destroyed historic Caudill's Electrical Company building in Kernersville
KERNERSVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — A woman died in a crash in a stolen vehicle in Kernersville on Saturday night hours before a historic building burned down, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
The building was recognized as a historical Kernersville structure, built in 1897 as the Harmon and Reid Mill before becoming Caudill's Electrical Company in recent years.
According to a press release from the Kernersville Fire Rescue Department, at 10 p.m., emergency personnel were still battling a 'commercial structure fire' at 208 East Bodenhamer Street.
At 2:50 a.m. Sunday, Kernersville Fire Rescue confirmed that more than 60 firefighters from multiple local agencies assisted with bringing the fire under control, including:
Winston-Salem Fire Department
Forsyth County Fire Department
Piney Grove Fire Department
Oak Ridge Fire Department
Union Cross Fire Department
Walkertown Fire Department
At the time of the fire, there was also a car crash in the area involving downed power lines.
FOX8 was told that around 9 p.m., Isabelle Rose Lawson, 25, was driving a stolen Chevrolet Corvette when she lost control and hit several power poles.
Lawson was the only one in the car. She was thrown from the car during the crash and died at the scene.
Kernersville police said their officers spotted the stolen car, but at this point in the investigation, it is unclear if there was a chase.
'This space is normally occupied by our security techs, and we have just kind of had to kick them out, so now you see admin staff in here and working,' said Dana Jones Caudill, the owner of CEC.
Every paper, piece of equipment and power chord is gone.
'Our main supply closet was across the street, and so we went to Staples to try to get some basic stuff we would need,' Caudill said.
Most of it is replaceable, but other items will live on only in their memories.
'It's the pictures of employees who have retired with us. It's our family photos,' Caudill said.
Caudill's family bought the former mill in 1978 when they started the company. CEC is an electrical contracting company that does security systems and cameras for homes and businesses in the Triad.
Caudill has also served the Kernersville community as an elected official and currently as a state senator. The community knows the Caudill family and has shown nonstop support since the fire.
'We really have a great community … That is the part that is kind of overwhelming,. It kind of gets you at times … We are just really grateful,' Caudill said.
It's her business, but the reality is that it's just a building.
'We are blessed that nobody was hurt,' Caudill said.
Just down the road, there is still debris left over from the crash that killed Lawson.
'It was a tragic accident that happened. Someone lost their life, and we lost a building, but someone lost a loved one, so we have to put that into perspective,' Caudill said.
CEC plans to rebuild its property as soon as the investigation wraps up. The Kernersville Fire Department said that it could take several weeks.
Caudill's released the following statement on Facebook Sunday morning regarding the fire.
Last night, we experienced a heartbreaking total loss at Caudill Electric as our building went up in flames. Watching it burn was incredibly difficult and left us feeling helpless — but even in the middle of the devastation, we are filled with gratitude.
We want to thank the Kernersville Fire Department and all of the first responders who worked tirelessly to contain the fire. While the building couldn't be saved, we are so thankful they were able to protect the surrounding properties and spare our neighbors from damage.
We are also incredibly proud of our amazing employees, many of whom came out to the scene last night to support and help in any way they could. To our loyal customers — thank you for your continued support and prayers. We're already working on a plan to be back in operation by Tuesday, and we are committed to continuing to serve you.
Please keep us in your prayers as we move forward. We know that God is good in all situations, and that's the truth we are holding onto at this moment.Caudill's (Facebook)
Kernersville Fire Rescue released the following update at 1:25 p.m. Sunday:
Fire crews completed overhaul operations and full extinguishment of hot spots this morning. Duke Energy has also finished repairs in the area, and the building was officially released back to the property owners at approximately 10:00 a.m. today. Bodenhamer Street has been reopened to regular traffic.
We are aware of various rumors circulating on social media, and we want to clarify that no injuries occurred to either emergency personnel or civilians during the fire at Caudill Electric.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Kernersville Fire Marshal's Office.
Kernersville Fire Rescue Department
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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