News.
Well, yesterday the jackazz that hit Dawn, a Michael Murray, was arrested. He confessed, and stated he didn’t know he had hurt anyone. The speed limit on that road, if I remember correctly, was 45MPH. He struck her car so hard that his minivan lost a wheel, and Dawn’s Ford Mustang was thrown 25′ off the roadway. They had to cut her out of the car. He also did not know he had struck an off-duty law enforcement officer – when confronted with this he reportedly hung his head and stared into his lap.
Dawn is, as far as I know, still alive. There’s been much talk about her having been removed from life support, however I’ve been unable to get a confirmation. I do know that it reportedly is supposed to happen, I just do not know if it has occurred yet. I know that the doctors were having problems controlling the swelling in her brain and that they had gotten the family together and that the decision was made.
There’s been some speculation as to whether she was wearing her seat belt. Not having been there, I can’t know the truth, but the evidence points towards the direction she wasn’t. She may very well have been, but I’m not sure. Dawn always wore her seatbelt when we went for lunch back when we worked for Berkeley dispatch, so it doesn’t seem like her. Maybe she forgot, maybe she had it off for some unknown reason. I know sometimes I have to take mine off to get my cell phone out of my pocket (yeah I know, shouldn’t be talking and driving, but whatever). Either way, this wouldn’t have happened had the suspended driver not been on the road.
The bond hearing was today at 1600 at the Goose Creek Municipal Court. I missed the very beginning, as they started a little early and I had to walk over from the PD. He was given $25,000.00 surety bond, which I consider a paltry amount but it was supposedly the most that Judge Johnson could assign. He made a small statement to the court prior to being led away in which he stated he didn’t mean to hurt anyone and that he “wouldn’t have left if he knew someone had been hurt.” See my first paragraph for why I think he’s full of shit. His last comment drew snickers from the crowd, which was 3/4 full in support of Dawn. There were at least ten LEO’s from Berkeley County there, and many friends and family.
Channel 5 (WCIV) was there, with Harve Jacobs and a cameraman. I was surprised that the much better Channel 2 (WCBD) was not there. Hopefully Harve will report this story nicely, instead of putting the negative spin on some stories like I’ve seen him do before, carefully placing emphasis on words that make it sound worse than it is.
I last ‘talked’ to Dawn via text message the Friday before the funeral for Kilo 11 and Kilo 15. At one point she had said that her family had wanted her to leave the force, I guess because they felt it was too dangerous. Though we’ll never know I wonder what would – or would not – have happened had she taken their advice? Would she have taken they day off on Sunday to go out of town, or would she have been busy doing something else? It’s human nature to wonder how things might have been had little things been different in the past, unfortunately nothing can be done about the past and one must press onward. Such is life, as we all know.
I understand that life isn’t fair, but more often than not it seems the good ones are taken too soon and the perpetrators of the acts are often left unscathed. It saddens me to know that whatever the outcome, whether she lives or dies, the Dawn I know, the Dawn who is my friend, isn’t here any more. Dawn, I’m gonna miss you!
(sigh)