This week I am posting only a personal note. Sunday morning at 2:30 AM the phone rang and we received the t call that no parent wants to receive. Our 30 year old son Tony and his 26 year old wife Jessica were hit by a speeding 18 year old drunk driver. Jessica sustained massive head injuries and was on life support for two days. We were hoping and praying for a miracle but that was not to be. On Tuesday she passed away. She never regained consciousness.
Tony had massive neck and stomach injuries and was in intensive care in a room next to his wife. He spent four hours in surgery to repair the damages to his stomach. As I write this on Saturday afternoon October 16th, he is out of intensive care and in the trauma area. He is still experiencing intestinal problems. His injuries are no longer life threatening but we are hoping that they do not have to operate again. The doctors say that he will be in the hospital for awhile. He is a very strong young man and his physical injuries will eventually take care of themselves. Emotions will take more time. It is so heart wrenching. Tony and Jess had only been married for 36 days. They were so excited about their future. It is hard to understand and so, so sad.
The 18 year old drunk driver ran a red light and hit Jessica and Tony midway thru the intersection. He was traveling so fast that it hit their car and pushed it into a pickup. The impact was so intense that it spun the pickup 3 times. Tony and Jess’s car was so badly damaged that it took over 2 hours to free Tony and Jess from the vehicle.
Our families truly appreciate those of you that had found out about the accident and sent your concern, thoughts and especially your prayers. If you read the guestbook that I will mention below you will see what a special person Jessica was. She was always giving to others. Even in her death she continued to give. Because of her a 12 year old girl in Missouri has a new special heart, a 54 year old man has a new lease on life with new strong lungs and somewhere someone will be able to see the beauty of the world with new beautiful eyes.
To keep friends and relatives informed we posted information on the Caring Bridge web site. If you are interested visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/JessicaBedient
In the journal section you can see our postings and in the guestbook section you can read the reactions of their friends, family and acquaintances. The postings in the guestbook will give you an indication of how special people these two young are.
Laws need to be toughened. The 18 year only was cited just 30 days prior for drunken driving. He has been charged with felony motor vehicle homicide. His aunt apparently felt that it was appropriate to procure liquor for this boy. The parents apparently felt it was okay for him to drive. The aunt has been charged with a misdemeanor procuring liquor for a minor. I personally feel that the laws should be such that anyone in this situation should be charged with the same crime as the offender. Maybe harsher penalties would stop such a problem in the future. There is more that could be done but more on my thoughts on that at some later time.
