Tarboro baseball wins for Winstead a year after tragic crash

Jan 10, 2024

It's senior night for Tarboro High School baseball. The field at Tarboro Municipal Stadium is painted and the mound has been freshly raked. Senior Layton Dupree is taking batting practice.

"Ahh got the hands," Dupree said to himself as he connected on a pitch and sent it deep to left field. "It went out, miracle."

It's hard to miss Dupree on the baseball field. Standing around 6-foot-4 you'll notice his size and power right away. You'll also notice the number stitched into his hat says "16" while the number on his jersey is 5.

No. 16 belonged to J.T. Winstead. Dupree was his best friend.

"He was a really goofy person," Dupree said. "Never really had a worry, you never saw him sad. He always had a smile on his face."

Fellow senior Tanner Cairns said, "He was a great person. He was one of a kind. He was like no other really."

Winstead, Dupree and Cairns started playing baseball at the age of five. They should be experiencing senior night together, but June 3, 2021, changed their fates.

It was a rainy day just before noon in Greenville. Winstead was in a car with four other teenagers on U.S. Highway 264. According to a North Carolina Department of Public Safety crash report, a box truck heading the opposite direction lost control and crossed over the guardrail hitting the car Winstead was in head on. Only one of the teenagers survived the crash.

"My mom told me J.T. was in a wreck," Dupree remembered. "I texted Tanner and I said 'is J.T. alright?"

Cairns was driving when he found out the news.

"I pulled over to the side of the road," Cairns said. "I couldn't even get back in the truck for like 20 minutes. I was just sitting on the ground crying."

"Batting third, playing pitcher, Layton," Tarboro head baseball coach Zachary Parisher read off the lineup. "Batting fourth, catching Tanner."

Behind Parisher there is the No. 16 posted on the right field wall with Winstead's name on it. His jersey and picture are hung up in the dugout. No. 16 is painted on the field along with the other seniors' numbers. Tarboro has dedicated this entire season to him.

"I think we've tried to do everything the right way," Parisher said. "I really do hope he's been proud of us."

Every senior and their family were honored before the game, including Winstead's parents, Lisa and Thad.

"It warms your heart to know that so many people care," Thad Winstead said. "I never knew my son touched so many lives. He touched so many lives in his 17 years. It's unbelievable."

Tarboro beat North East Carolina Prep that night 10-0. J.T.'s final home game was a win.

"We've asked the question many times why?" Thad said. "The lord has a plan for each and everyone of us you know and this was in J.T.'s plan."