Pastor Killed In Crash Hours After Preaching Sermon On Heaven

By Robert Jordan
Daily Record of Dunn

ANGIER, N.C. – Rev. Justin Shane Heath spent his final evening preaching about Lazarus, heaven and the promise of eternal life in an Angier revival service Saturday. The 67-year-old Mount Olive pastor and former Wayne County deputy was killed in a collision on his way home from that service hours later.

The crash happened when an off-duty Durham police officer ran a red traffic light and hit the van Heath was driving at the intersection of Old Stage Road and N.C. Highway 210 shortly after 9:30 p.m., according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Heath was killed and the seven passengers in his van, which included his wife of 47 years, Lynn, were injured.

Also injured was the off-duty officer identified as 52-year-old Joseph Brian King, of Angier, an award-winning corporal assigned to Durham Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team. Impairment was not a contributing factor in the crash, according to the Highway Patrol.

1st Sgt. Cory D. Lowry said the Highway Patrol intends to charge King with misdemeanor death by vehicle, pending consultation with the Harnett County District Attorney’s Office. The charge had not been filed as of Monday.

Heath was driving a white Ford Transit passenger van east on the highway when it was struck by King’s Honda Civic at the intersection.

Heath’s van overturned following the collision and came to rest off of N.C. 210.

The crash sent King’s Honda off of the roadway. King and the van’s passengers were transported to WakeMed in Raleigh with varying degrees of injuries.

The Durham Police Department declined to comment on King, referring questions about the collision to the Highway Patrol.

The wreck prompted a massive emergency response after arriving Harnett County sheriff’s deputies discovered the overturned van with multiple occupants trapped inside.

The incident was upgraded to a mass casualty response, bringing additional ambulances and rescue personnel from Harnett and Johnston counties.

Heath was pronounced dead at the scene.

His grandson, Joshua “Josh” Smith, said all of the surviving van occupants, except his grandmother, were treated and released from WakeMed within hours of their arrival.

Heath’s wife, Lynn, suffered a fractured shoulder and remained hospitalized longer. The couple had been married since Dec. 26, 1978.

For Smith, the loss was more than the death of a grandfather. It was the passing of a man whose life had been devoted to serving others through law enforcement, Christian ministry and missionary work around the world.

Heath, a retired captain with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, began preaching in 1993 and had devoted more than three decades to the ministry.

He served as pastor of Fore Christ Church in Mount Olive, which he established in 2007 after earlier ministering at Mount Olive Church of God.

His influence extended well beyond eastern North Carolina.

Smith said his grandfather’s missionary ministry was associated with more than 290 churches in 13 countries, including Honduras, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Uganda and India.

“He loved doing missionary work,” Smith said. “He loved traveling. He loved getting to meet everybody. He absolutely loved it.”

Heath was particularly devoted to helping children and families in impoverished communities.

His missionary efforts included supporting an orphanage in India, providing food and other necessities to children in Honduras and distributing clothing, shoes and medical supplies.

Even when he could not travel overseas, Heath continued working with pastors through online training sessions, helping prepare religious leaders to serve their own communities.

Smith said his grandfather trained thousands of pastors through those efforts.

On Saturday evening, Heath had been preaching at Freedom Life Church in Angier, where Pastor Michael Bacon had previously studied under his ministry.

The service was part of a healing and deliverance revival.

Smith recalled that his grandfather’s final sermon centered on the biblical account of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead.

Heath spoke about the joy of heaven and suggested that, had he been Lazarus, he might not have welcomed being brought back from paradise.

He also spoke of looking forward to conversations with biblical figures, including Elijah, and asking them about their extraordinary experiences.

The words took on profound meaning for the family after the tragedy that followed.

Just a short time after delivering that message, Heath was dead, leaving behind the congregation he had served, the missionary work he cherished and a family profoundly influenced by his faith.

Smith spoke with unmistakable affection and pride as he recalled his grandfather’s ministry, compassion and dedication to helping others.

Although saddened by the sudden loss, his memories reflected a deep appreciation for the life Heath had lived and the example he had set.

For a family grieving a husband, grandfather and spiritual leader, there was particular comfort in knowing that the man who spent his final evening speaking about eternal life had devoted so much of his own life to preparing others for it.

King has also led a life of service dedicated to others. In 2021, he was awarded the Heart of CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) Award for his work in triaging calls for service, while often providing backup on the road. He was also a member of Durham’s Unsheltered Committee, providing “mission-minded” critical resources to help the homeless population. He worked with Housing for New Hope to help people obtain a permanent place to live.