Our Journey

Brenda and I arrived at the hospital simultaneously and rushed into the Emergency Room.  We told the person at the front desk who we were and that we were there to see Amanda.  She told me she was unsure we could return but said she would check.  In just a few seconds, we were escorted back to her room.

When we first walked in, all I saw was Amanda.  She had some mild bruises, but she was okay overall.  She gave me a slight smile, but not her usual self.  I then glanced around and saw a medical worker taking her vital signs and a policeman sitting in the corner.  I couldn’t understand why he was there, but I was more concerned about Amanda then.

Amanda had a large knot on her forehead, a bruised wrist, and an injured knee.  I asked Amanda what happened.  All she said was that she was in an accident and didn’t remember anything else.  She seemed confused about what had happened or why she was at the hospital.

I asked the policeman, who told me she was in a wreck but didn’t know any details.  I pressed for more information, but he would not reveal anything.  At one point, he told me he heard the police were chasing two motorcycles, and he thought that might have been a factor.

After a few minutes, an additional police officer, later identified as a detective, asked to talk to Amanda alone.  I still did not know any details, but I assumed they were gathering details.  Brenda and I left the room.  I could not verify the exact conversation; however, the officer revealed to Amanda that she and a motorcycle had collided and the motorcycle driver was deceased.  After that conversation, we were allowed back into the room and arrived to see Amanda crying.  She was emotional and was unable to relay the conversation.  Still, she did convey that the driver of the motorcycle was deceased.

I left the room and attempted to get more information from the police, but they would not tell me anything.  Shortly after, the detective returned and asked to talk to Amanda alone again.  I told the detective she could talk to Amanda again, but I would remain in the room.  The detective asked one or two minor questions and then left the room.

Shortly after, the first officer returned to the room and indicated that Amanda was not being held and would be free to go when the medical team finished.  At this point, I had no idea that Amanda was being investigated for criminal charges or that she had done anything wrong. 

At the same time the discussions with law enforcement occurred, various medical personnel entered the room to check vital signs, obtain a blood sample, check medical background, etc.  I attempted to talk to a few medical personnel but received few answers.

Brenda and I briefly stepped out of the room to discuss the incident.  We were both confused and were not receiving much information from either law enforcement or medical personnel.  We decided that Brenda would remain at the hospital, and I would go to the accident scene to see if I could get more information.

At roughly 2:00 a.m., I left the hospital and drove to the location of the wreck.  At this point, my mind was racing in many different directions.  What had happened?  Was Amanda okay medically?  How was she mentally?  At this point, I still had no idea that law enforcement was beginning an investigation of Amanda.

As I neared the site, I could see numerous police cars with blinking lights.  I was stopped a few blocks away and informed the road was closed.  Without revealing who I was, I asked why the road was blocked.  The officer indicated a wreck but would provide no other details.

I drove down a parallel road for several blocks and tried to get in from the opposite direction.  Another officer was stopping traffic.  I tried a different approach and told him I owned the car.  While polite, he told me it would be several hours before the road was opened and that I would not have access to the vehicle even then.

At this point, I returned home to try to get some rest.  I did not know then, but there would be very little rest or sleep for the next several months.

At daylight, I drove back to the wreck site.  The roads were reopened.  Given the information I had, I could identify where the wreck happened and see oil and water stains from the crash.  Beyond that, there was no indication of anything else.  I started up and down the street, going to businesses near the wreck.  I could locate several people who had heard of the crash and seen the aftermath, but no one had seen the crash.

The wreck happened in front of a convenience store, so I went in to see if there was a videotape.  Law enforcement had arrived shortly before I did, and they were also searching for video.  I attempted to get an update from them, but once again, they would not provide any information.  I viewed the video from the store, but it did not give any helpful information. 

After a couple of hours, I left the site and drove back to check on Amanda.

I arrived at Brenda’s house.  When I went in, Brenda told me additional details about the Emergency Room after I left.  Even though she was admitted with a head injury, she never received a CT Scan or any other tests on her head except a physical examination.  Brenda asked the medical personnel numerous times about the lack of care she was receiving.  At one point, Amanda asked the Doctor to discharge her.  Even though she did not tell him, the reason was to go to the other local hospital so she could be examined.  The Doctor threatened to Baker Act her if she tried to leave.  After several more hours, Amanda and Brenda decided to leave Against Medical Advice.  They went home because she had no sleep, and Amanda went to bed.

After hearing this story, we realized we still had medical issues to check, as well as continuing to try to understand the wreck.

Since she did not receive an appropriate examination for her potential head injury at the first hospital, we decided to take her to a different hospital.  Upon entering the Emergency Room and talking to the receptionist, Amanda was immediately taken to a room.  Very quickly, the medical personnel began to collect her information.  Within 30 minutes, she received a CT scan of her head along with x-rays of her wrist and knee.  While we waited for results, a mental health specialist also entered and talked with Amanda about the trauma.  Fortunately, there were no serious physical injuries, and we were back home within a couple of hours.

As we arrived home, Ryan asked me if I had seen the City of Daytona Beach Shores Facebook page.  I had not, but I immediately used my phone to access the page.  The following was posted on their account.  

“DAYTONA BEACH SHORES — A motorcyclist was killed Friday night when the bike was struck by a speeding car on South Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach Shores Public Safety reported. 

The crash occurred a little after 11 p.m. in front of the Sunoco gas station at 2530 S. Atlantic Avenue, according to police.  A Daytona Beach Shores public safety officer observed the vehicle traveling southbound at 85 mph in the 2400 block of South Atlantic Avenue.  The speed limit is 35 mph.

The officer turned on the police cruiser’s flashing lights, but the driver didn’t slow down, according to police.  

The vehicle struck the northbound motorcycle as it was turning left into the Sunoco station, killing the motorcyclist instantly, according to police.  The vehicle continued south and stopped when it became disabled in the 2600 block of South Atlantic.

The identity of the motorcyclist, who was from out of state, hasn’t been released, pending notification of next of kin, said Daytona Beach Shores spokeswoman Cindi Lane. 

The woman driving the vehicle was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center with head injuries, according to police.  The accident is under investigation, and charges are pending against the driver, whose name hadn’t been released on Saturday.”

This posting was the first time we knew that Amanda was being investigated.  She still did not remember the details of what had happened.  

The remainder of the weekend was to try to understand everything that had happened and to determine a course of action.  And it was Saturday night that my emotions hit me.  And the emotions were far reaching and overwhelming.  They ranged from sadness to anger to disappointment to hopelessness to mental paralysis.

Even though this was not a business issue, my experience taught me to take each issue and try to work one at a time.  But I also knew I had to be objective while attacking each issue.  

The first was medical.  While Amanda experienced severe bruising, there were no injuries that required immediate attention.  The first hospital had not been helpful, and they had not provided the care she needed; this was an issue we could face later.

The discovery that Amanda was being criminally investigated was an issue that was a total surprise.  We did not know exactly what had happened or how the wreck occurred.  We also did not know about the investigation, how long it would last, what it would involve, or how quickly it would move.  However, it became apparent that she needed an attorney.  On Sunday afternoon, we made a call to a criminal defense attorney who had great reviews and experience.  After a brief telephone call, an appointment was made for the following morning at 9:00 a.m. 

Amanda did tell me that she had been drinking on Friday night.  Because of her mental condition at the time, I did not press for more information.  But I realized we had to deal with this issue quickly.

Amanda was showing signs of depression, stress, sorrow, and hopelessness.  She only wanted to stay in her room and stay in bed.  I didn’t know until later that she called the Crisis Line on Sunday night.  The person at the Crisis Line was helpful to Amanda while on the phone and “talked her down.”  She told Amanda she needed to get mental health treatment and gave her the first appointment available with a provider on her health insurance plan.  The appointment was in July (3 months later).  Mental health was another issue that we needed to face quickly.

The essence of the weekend was that we had far more questions than answers.

It was challenging to find any positives at this time.  However, when you look for blessings, you will always find them.  Amanda was alive and physically healthy.  Chrissy (my longtime partner), Brenda (Amanda’s mother), and I met Sunday night and agreed on how to proceed.

I distinctly remember talking to Amanda Sunday night. Her question was, “What do we do now?” I gave an answer that would become our motto for this entire journey: “Get some sleep and get up ready to fight again in the morning.”