News from a Madison, IN race over 4th of July

[hmiskerik]

A friend of mine that I work with just sent me this article regarding the race in Madison, Indiana over the 4th of July. He graduated in Madison Heights, MI with one of the girls listed as injured... he just received an update that she had to have her leg amputated.

Its bizarre and I thought I would share if you haven't seen it?

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Police uncertain why car crashed into boat race crowd

WTHR-TV

Madison - Investigators sought a blood test to determine whether a teenage driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when his car plowed through a crowd of speedboat race fans along the Ohio River and critically injured two people.

The driver, Michael Bowen, 18, of Madison, appeared to be slumped over the steering wheel as the speeding car left a street and hurtled into the riverfront area crowded with people attending the Madison Regatta, Police Chief Bob Wolf said.

Ten people were injured in the crash Sunday afternoon. Four of them, including the driver, remained hospitalized Monday.

Wolf said a state police trooper who had to jump out of the car's way saw the driver had his head and arms on the steering wheel.

Officers interviewed a 16-year-old passenger in the car and were waiting to speak with Bowen, who was listed in stable condition at University Hospital in Louisville, Ky., with a possible head injury.

Wolf said investigators would obtain a subpoena for blood tests on Bowen, who was unconscious when he was pulled from his car about 25 feet from the river bank. His passenger was treated and released from a hospital in the town midway between Louisville and Cincinnati.

Witness told investigators that the car drove through a temporary fence and hit a golf cart used by race workers, who ducked for cover. The car then went airborne into the river.

Wolf praised those in the crowd who quickly went to the aid of those injured and helped search for anyone who might have been knocked into the river.

"Spectators immediately began doing whatever they could do to help the injured as well as getting the crowd back to help the injured and so the ambulances could get out," he said. "I thought the response from everybody was just well organized, orderly and the people, all the volunteers we have down there did an excellent job."

Two bystanders - Priscilla Johnson, 56, of Madison and Jennifer Willette, 28, of Madison Heights, Mich. - were taken by helicopter to University Hospital, where they both were listed in critical condition with what police said were head and chest injuries. Hana Roberts, 14, of Madison was in fair condition at Louisville's Kosair Children's Hospital.

Five other bystanders were treated at King's Daughter's Hospital in Madison and released.
The crash happened as the crowd awaited the final race in the annual Fourth of July weekend event, which draws up to 100,000 people to the Indiana city of about 13,000 and to the Kentucky side of the river opposite Madison. The race was the second of seven events on the American Boat Racing Association's unlimited hydroplane series this season.

Wolf said investigators did not believe Bowen had been attending the regatta events.

"This is obviously much more important than boat racing or all the other things we do here," Mayor Al Huntington said. "Right now we're just getting through this, making sure we understand exactly what happened and that we do everything we can to help the people who are suffering right now."

Those injured when a car drove through a crowd of spectators Sunday afternoon at the Madison Regatta:


Carrie Bessinger, 27, Mount Gilead, Ohio, treated and released
Michael Bowen, 18, Madison, Ind., driver of the car, taken to University Hospital, Louisville, Ky.
Bill Cousins, 66, no hometown available, treated and released
Frank Figureas, 40, Winter Park, Fla., treated and released
Priscilla Johnson, 56, Madison, taken to University Hospital, Louisville, Ky.
Cory Luederman, 16, North Vernon, Ind., passenger in the car, treated and released
Janice Nash, 45, LaGrange, Ky., treated and released
Hana Roberts, 14, Madison, taken to Kosair Children's Hospital, Louisville, Ky.
Jennifer Willette, 28, Madison Heights, Mich., taken to University Hospital, Louisville, Ky.
Rory Willette, 50, Madison Heights, Mich., treated and released

Source: Madison Police Department

[Cameraboy]

Update

The two most seriously injured, Johnson and Willette are still in the hospital. Johnson is in rehab after a shoulder replacement and is due for more leg surgery. Jennifer Willette is still in an induced coma, and they are still not sure if she will pull through.

The little turd who was driving the car is alledged to have been huffing Freon. He is out on $10,000 bail - that's right, $10K.

[hmiskerik]

Thanks

Thanks for the Update Mike! Jennifer Willette (the girl still in the induced coma) is the girl he graduated from High School with. Very sad! (and SMALL world!) I'll pass on the information.

[racer4s]

The driver was in the news last week when they charged him with three felonies. There's a security video of him buying a can of computer keyboard cleaner at the local Walmart minutes before the crash. I think they also have some witnesses that saw him sniffing the freon before he even got to his car. He was also drunk.
The day before a new law went into effect that put freon sniffing on the illegal drug felony list. Sad thing is that his mom has a lot of money and they have retained a high powered local attorney not known for the highest ethics, so he'll probably get off with a slap on the wrist.

Brent Simmons
20-P

[hmiskerik]

For those of you who have been following this.....

This was sent to me this morning by the same friend who went to HS with Jennifer Willette. Looks like its only getting worse for her.... Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

You just never know when and where your life is going to take a change for the worse...

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Taken from a Fund Raiser Bulletin:

On July 2nd, 2006, my family's lives and mine were forever changed. My sister, Jennifer Willette, was at a Madison Regatta hydroplane race in Madison, IN as she was every summer for the last 6 years. This one was different however when a car, operated by an impaired driver, went wildly out of control and struck several spectators at the race while traveling an estimated 65-70 mph. The car injured 10 spectators with my sister, Jennifer, being the worst off. She was struck head-on in the pelvis and dragged underneath the automobile for 45-50 feet and finally into the Ohio River, where she lay with no pulse and not breathing. She is only 28 yrs old.

Thanks to the pro-active medical personnel and quick thinking spectators in that area, they were able to get Jennifer stable enough to be airlifted to the University of Louisville hospital in Kentucky. She has had innumerable operations and procedures done to save her life not the least of which were two amputations, her left arm and left leg. She also has a broken pelvis and a compound fracture of her right femur as well as countless cuts, bruises, and abrassions that will need skin grafts and weeks, if not months to heal. She remains in serious, but stable condition and has been fighting to make positive progress everyday, no matter how small it may be.

We're organizing a benefit golf outing to raise money for her upcoming medical bills (as she had just started a new job the month before and her medical coverage had not started up yet), her impending rehabilitation costs including the cost of prosthetics she will now require, and also help ease the financial burden on my parents who have been staying at a hotel this entire time and refuse to leave my sisters side until she is ready to come home. Your thoughts and prayers, and support would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact Rory Willette, Jr., @ (248) 854-5513 or email rwillette@menet.com. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Rory Willette, Jr.