Valley Mills neighbors rally to restore family’s torn-up driveway following freak lightning accident that killed father, injured son

VALLEY MILLS, Texas (KWTX) - Following the deadly lightning strike Monday that killed Valley Mills father Matthew Boggs and severely injured his 6-year-old son, Grayson, community members are rallying around the Boggs’ during this time of tragedy by restoring the family’s torn-up, unpaved driveway.

“They need it right now,” Korey Parker, the Boggs’ neighbor, told KWTX. “Not only are they my neighbors, they’re good people. I’m just hoping that the community will see that, and everybody will step up to help out if they can.”

On Monday night, lightning struck and killed Matthew Boggs and severely injured his 6-year-old son, Grayson, near their Valley Mills home. A vigil was held Saturday night to pray for Grayson, who is currently in a coma.

As ambulances arrived on scene to help, the vehicles got stuck in the family’s muddy driveway, tearing it up even more.

“When the ambulance came in first, they got stuck somewhere just within feet of us, hundreds of feet from the home,” Parker said. “And they had to grab Grayson and literally run him to the ambulance to get his treatment.”

With a 2-year-old son of his own, Parker says it could’ve easily been him. That’s why he’s leading the charge to fix the Boggs’ driveway.

All weekend, Parker has been collecting monetary donations, gravel, machinery and manpower to help rebuild it by Monday morning, ahead of when the family is expected to arrive home.

“My entire hope with this is just for these people to come home and things are a little easier than what it has been for them for the past week,” Parker said.

And while he’s received an outpouring of support for this project already, Parker says the work isn’t done.

“We are in dire need of gravel,” Parker said. “That’s all I need is gravel and to get it delivered out here. If anybody that has trucks, dump trucks, dump trailers can get to the gravel pits and get us some gravel out here, we will have it spread and have a new driveway in this weekend and they will be good to go.”

Those looking to help can reach out to KWTX via email or on our social media platforms, where we can connect you with Parker directly.

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