From Rob Fernandes:
I wrote this story about an accident my fiance and I were in on 10/17/10. We were hit by a drunk driver and I want to find the guy who saved our lives and helped us at the scene. It was on Venice and Centinella.
October 16, 2010 was probably a normal night to many people. To me it seems it probably could have been, if I just could remember the morning of the 17th. If I could just separate reality from the nightmare.
I started the night off with a birthday dinner for my brother-in-law Justin at Santa Monica’s Vito’s Restaurant. Like most Saturday nights I had to work at my employers bar on Main St. so I had to leave before everyone else. I remember my future wife telling me she was going to stay and get a ride to my work later. Nothing out of the norm since she is very close with my family. From there my night starts to diminish.
I can’t remember if it was one of our summer nights. If you live on the west side you understand that our summer did not come until October this year. I remember I was extra early for work. I remember Dj Stardom was the man on the one’s and two’s. I remember that we were pretty busy unlike most of weekends in the past few months. I remember my fiancé showing up with my sister and then my sister leaving once my fiancé’s best friend showed up. I remember my friend asking for a ride home after I was off. I remember catching a man trying to snatch a woman’s purse and having to drag him out after he tried to fight his way out with the pocketbook. I remember trying to convince my future wife’s best friend that we’d give her a ride but her insisting to take a cab instead. I remember closing the door in the cab and telling the driver where to bring her.
After that there are very few things I do remember. I remember trying to get my fiancé to move over and let me drive but her insisting that she felt like driving since I worked all night. I remember taking the back roads to drop my friend off at his apartment. I remember my girl telling me to put my seat belt on or she wasn’t putting the car in drive. I remember driving on Venice Blvd. I remember talking about our wedding and stopping at a red light. Then I remember thinking I was in a dream.
Next thing I know is that I had to be dreaming. I woke up and was confused how I was not in my bed. Where was I. I keep blacking in and out. I come through long enough to realize that something bad has happened. The love of my life is bleeding from her face and the back of her head. I have blood all over me but I don’t know how. I remember my heart dropping because the last thing I remember is my friend was in the back seat. I remember I couldn’t force myself to see if he was there. I don’t remember where I was. I don’t remember how I got out of the car. I remember screaming at my girl to wake up and begging her not to die but I don’t remember how I got to her side of the car. I remember talking to my fiancé to wake up but I don’t remember how long it took until she finally blinked. I remember that some man, a guardian angel, a complete stranger came to help me but I don’t remember what he looked like. I don’t remember how long it took for the EMT’s to get there or remember anything but a moment of the ambulance ride. I don’t remember getting in the hospital bed. It’s a night we’ll never remember.
My fiancé and I were a victim of a careless drunk driver. He rear ended us speeding while we were at a red light. My fiancé suffered brain hemorrhaging and swelling of the brain. She has trouble walking. I developed a stutter. I might need surgery on my knee and neck. We both got multiple staples as well as back and neck problems. I will never remember almost dying.
Luckily, we both survived and we dropped my friend off less than a minute before the accident. We were on Venice Blvd, less than 2 miles away from our apartment.
I wrote this letter for two reasons. I want to find the man who helped me after the accident. He took my phone and called my best friend and 911. He made sure the guy didn’t flee the scene. I need to find this man so I can shake his hand. He saved our lives. If you are the man or if anyone knows the person(s) I would love to meet him. He helped saved my fiancé’s life and for that I am forever grateful.
Secondly, I want to remind everyone about the consequences of drinking and driving. You never think how it can affect your life, never mind how it can affect other peoples. Be responsible, take a cab, call a friend or catch a bus. You don’t want to have a night like mine, when you can’t remember or even worse, a night like his and have to live with the memory of almost killing someone everyday.
