Bride-to-be's invitations likely among mail destroyed in postal truck fire

LELAND, NC (WECT) – A local bride-to-be is heartbroken after learning her wedding invitations were likely on a postal truck that went up in flames on Wednesday.

The truck caught fire on Highway 74/76 in Columbus County after leaving the Leland Post Office. The driver was not injured. Most of the mail on the truck was destroyed.

{See eyewitness video of the truck fire by clicking here.}

Lindsay Orem said she learned about the fire from a post on our Facebook page. She mailed her invites from Leland Wednesday, so it is likely that her postage was on the truck.

Orem said she splurged on her invites because they're very special to her.

In July, she will marry her fiancé, Russ King.

The two went to high school together in Raeford and reconnected recently.

Both have children from previous relationships. King is a widower and has a six-year-old son. Lindsay has a three-year-old daughter. To make the wedding special for the children, the invites say the wedding is being hosted by the two kids.

"It broke my heart how much time we spent on them," she said. "That was my favorite part of the whole wedding planning - my invitations."

Orem said she feels burnt by the post office. She said the representative she spoke to was "rude" over the phone, didn't apologize and didn't seem to have any sympathy for her.

The post office isn't going to reimburse her in any way for the invites.

Additionally, the USPS is refunding those who purchased stamps on Wednesday, but since Orem bought hers two weeks ago, she won't be reimbursed.

Still, she had high praise for the driver of the truck.

"I heard the mail truck driver tried to get as much out as he could but he just couldn't do it," she said. "I'm so glad that he's ok. I think he was very brave to try and do that. It shows that he's dedicated to what he does - putting himself in harm to try to save everyone else's mail. Most things are replaceable, like invitations, as bad as I hate that I have to redo everything, they can be replaced."

Orem said the printer, Mindy and Angie's, is putting a rush on a new order of invitations. She hopes to mail those to her guests soon.

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