The three surviving children of the fatal wreck on Interstate 77 on May 22 are doing well, according to John Shelton, director of Surry County emergency services.

The children have moved in with their grandmother and are beginning to get back to a normal routine as much as possible. Surry County emergency workers have not heard from the family for a couple of weeks, leading them to believe things are continuing to improve.

Two of the children suffered injuries from the crash that killed both parents as well as two other children. They are recovering and doing well.

“Everything’s going as well as could be expected,” said Shelton.

The family was driving from New York to Alabama when their minivan crossed the median, hitting two other cars at the 88 mile marker on Interstate 77. Wayne Hicks, 44, of Queens, N.Y., was driving the van and apparently fell asleep at the wheel. He, along with wife, Natalie, and 10-year-old son, Wayne Jr., were pronounced dead at the scene while another child, 2-year-old Natalya, was transported to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center where she later died. Bryan Mowry, 59, was the passenger in one of the other vehicles involved and died May 23 at the hospital.

Elijah, 9, Josiah, 4, and John, 5, all survived the crash that claimed the rest of their family.

Some of the fire and rescue personnel who responded to the accident went to New York for the funerals in order to gain some closure from the incident.

“They went to meet the family and get some reassurance for themselves. It was closure,” said Shelton, noting that they were all welcomed by the family and treated well.

According to Shelton, there is a protocol in place for situations in which parents are unable to care for their children due to death or serious injury. Emergency workers contact the social services division of the hospital where the children are taken. Social Services and law enforcement then work together to notify the appropriate people, including next of kin and a person to take legal responsibility for the children.

Counseling is also immediately arranged for the children including the hospital’s chaplain and personnel from behavioral services.

If both parents die, the parties involved, including law enforcement, emergency services and social services, get together with the court system to temporarily assign the children to a family member or to a foster family until further arrangements can be made.

Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.