He married into a large family. And though he was quiet, Frank Thompson still fit right in, his brother-in-law said.
In the fall, several family members traveled to New Orleans for a family wedding. While they were there, Brian Scott said he and his sister’s husband went to a Saints game and toured the Super Dome.
Back in Georgia, Thompson had a good job with a finance company and cleaned offices as a part-time job. He was on his way to his second job Monday evening when he was killed in a wreck. He was 58. Cobb County investigators believe a 20-year-old driver intentionally rammed into Thompson’s car.
“What caused her to do this?” Scott said Wednesday. “That’s what I want to know.”
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Thompson was stopped at a red traffic light around 7 p.m. on Barrett Parkway at the intersection with Dallas Highway in a silver 2002 Saturn SC1 at the time of the crash. He was hit by a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle driven by Cikira Caivon Faison, police said.
Within hours of the crash, Faison was arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. The Paulding County woman was being held without bond Wednesday at the Cobb jail.
“Said accused did intentionally rear-end the vehicle in front of her, which resulted in the death of the driver,” Faison’s arrest warrant states.
But Thompson’s family questions what led investigators to believe the crash was intentional. Thompson did not know Faison, Scott said.
“When I heard he was killed, I thought maybe she was speeding and on the phone or something and her attention was off,” Scott said.
A spokesman for Cobb police declined to release additional information Wednesday on the crash. Scott said the family has been told Thompson likely was killed instantly.
In recent years, Thompson had been laid off from a job he’d held for years. But he was hired by another company and was starting a business cleaning offices in the evening, Scott said.
Earlier this year, Thompson had traveled to Boston to see his son’s first baby. He was also the grandfather to his stepdaughter’s little girl, Scott said.
“It was just a blessing how God was moving in his life,” Scott said. “He was so pumped up. His attitude was so good. Everything was lining up and then this happened.”
Now, the family is making funeral plans, devastated by the loss of a man so full of life. Scott said it is not only his family that has been hurt by the tragedy.
“Her life is done,” he said. “Two lives gone.”
Scott said he is hopeful his brother-in-law’s death will serve as a reminder to others of how quickly lives can change, as well as the importance of being a focused, safe driver.
In addition to a son, daughter, stepdaughter and their families, Thompson is survived by his wife Brigitte and numerous other relatives.
The memorial service for Thompson will be held on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Greener Pastures Funeral Home in Powder Springs.
