Dealership Donates Car to Mother of Fallen Bay City Soldier

BAY CITY, MI -- The community has come together again to support the family of Sgt. 1st Class Michael Cathcart, the Bay City soldier who died in action in November 2014.

This past week, Jeanne Cathcart, the late soldier's mother, was driving her red Ford Focus home to Michigan from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where she attended a service honoring her son. While driving on Interstate 77 in Virginia, she noticed black smoke coming from the dash. She pulled over, exited the vehicle and then watched flames erupt and the car burn.

Following the incident, a family member in California started a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to help Cathcart purchase a new vehicle.

But a Bay County dealership decided it was best to get the mother in a new set of wheels sooner rather than later. The management team at RightWay Auto Sales, 3725 Wilder Road, decided to donate a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu to Cathcart after reading about her misfortune.

The car, which has about 150,000, won't last her forever, but should get her from point A to point B for the time being.

"I just needed to get back and forth from work," Cathcart said. "The car runs great and I'm just so appreciative."

Nichole Frick, an assistant manager with RightWay, said she was brought to tears when she learned about Cathcart's story.

"I can say I have met one of the most amazingly strong women I have ever met," she said.

Cathcart said she plans to buy a more long-term vehicle using the money from the GoFundMe campaign. After MLive published an article about the incident on Tuesday, May 30, the campaign exploded with donations. As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, nearly $7,000 had been raised.

"I want to thank everyone who has contributed," Cathcart said. "It means so much to me."

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Cathcart was killed in action Nov. 14, 2014 while serving an operation in Afghanistan. He died of wounds received from a small arms fire during a dismounted combat operation in the Kunduz Province. He was 31.

Cathcart served two tours of duty in Iraq. At the time of his death, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg.