Grammy Award nominated singer Timothy Wright, whose
illustrious career earned him the moniker "godfather of gospel, " is
in critical condition after being injured in a car crash late Friday in
Pennsylvania.
Wife Betty Wright, 58, died in the accident, police said.
Grandson D.J. Wright, 14, died Saturday evening, a nursing supervisor at Geisinger
Medical Center in Danville said Sunday, according to Newsday.
Rev. Timothy Wright, 61, was driving the vehicle Friday evening. The only other
passengers were his wife and his young grandson. They were returning from a
Church of God in Christ conference in Detroit, Leroy Johnson, a trustee at
Grace Tabernacle, said.
They were heading home, to Roosevelt, Long Island.
The terrible accident occurred on Interstate 80 in Greene Township in north
central Pennsylvania, at about 10:30 p.m., when another motorist drove his vehicle
the wrong-way and struck the Wrights’ car head-on.
Timothy Wright was in critical condition following the
crash and remained in critical condition Sunday.
The driver of the other car, identified by the police as John
Pick, 44, of Lewisburg, Pa., also died.
A third vehicle was involved in the crash, hitting the
Wright’s car from behind. One of the passengers in that car was in fair
condition Sunday, the nursing supervisor added.
Timothy Wright, who has released more than a dozen gospel
recordings, is known as the godfather of gospel. He is pastor of Grace
Tabernacle Christian Center in Bedford Stuyvesant.
He received a Grammy Award nomination for best
traditional soul gospel album in 1995 for "Come Thou Almighty King." His
latest album, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," was released last year.
Timothy and Betty Wright are parents to five sons.