Editorial by Monica Seals

MOUNT VERNON — Mt. Vernon bankruptcy attorney Mike Curry has gained overnight notoriety in our area, with people planning to protest outside his business the Bankruptcy Clinic in Mt. Vernon at noon Friday.

The group is seeking an apology from Curry for hateful and violent comments he made on social media Wednesday regarding the death of Marion County correctional officer Adam Conrad that have angered many in the community.

As you probably know, 22-year-old Adam Conrad, of Sandoval, was killed Wednesday morning when the transport van he was driving spun out of control on a snow and ice covered Interstate 57 and into the path of a Peterbilt semi-truck hauling a flat-bed trailer.

This horrifying crash that took the life of Adam Conrad, a volunteer firefighter, son, Cardinal baseball fan, and friend to many, resulted in traffic on Interstate 57 being backed up for many hours as emergency personnel had to extricate Adam and the 17-year-old prisoner he was transporting from the wreckage. The 17-year-old was seriously injured and was taken to a regional hospital for treatment.

Mike Curry, an attorney with the Bankruptcy Clinic in Mt. Vernon, was apparently one of many motorists stuck for hours as accident reconstruction and cleanup took place.

Curry voiced his anger over the situation in what has become a widely circulated Facebook rant where he first said he wanted to hunt down and kill those responsible for the crash and his subsequent inconvenience.

He then gloated over the news of Adam’s death and bashed law enforcement for not coming to the rescue of the motorists who missed or had to reschedule appointments because Adam’s death was an inconvenience to them.

I personally knew Adam Conrad and was fortunate to have shared dinner with him and his extended family on Sunday. Adam had such a good soul and a spectacular smile. But most importantly he had a kind heart.

While my instincts tell me to wish the worst for Mike Curry and his business, I know that’s not what Adam would have done. Adam would have made a joke about the situation and then tried to make up an excuse for Curry’s behavior and try to distract everyone from the feelings they were having over the hateful comments.

Adam would then flash one of his famous mega-watt smiles and everyone would forget about Mike Curry, his comments and his bankruptcy clinic, which seems like a most appropriate thing to do.