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I will never forget that night. At about 1:30 am my Dad came to my house and woke me
up. I knew something was wrong. I knew it must be bad but I could not even be prepared for what he told me.
He said, "Val, you better sit down." He was quiet for a moment and just blurted out, "Billy's dead." I did
not know how to react. I sat there, looked behind me on the wall where I kept a portrait of my brother and I. I
then turned around and looked at him still not reacting, and said, where, when, and how. He said he died at around 7:30pm
over on Co Rt 54 in a car accident....a drunk driver killed him. Still not being able to react, my Dad decided to leave
and go be with mom at the house. I just sat there not knowing what to do. I decided to go to my parents
house and be with them. When I arrived, there were a few cars there. I walked in to see my mom's eyes swelled
shut from crying so much and others there that were crying and hugging each other. I still could not react. It
was like a terrible dream and I wanted to wake up. I had just been with my brother 3 days before that at our parents
30th anniversary party that we threw for them. He was happy, healthy, and very much alive! How could this be?! He was
only 25 years old! I was supposed to be at work at 4am so I decided to call and tell them I wouldn't be in. When
I was on the phone and said "I won't be in, my brother got killed in a car wreck tonight,..." that's when it finally hit.
Then the numbness and shock took over. It is a very hard road to travel. Many emotions. Uphill, downhill...
I am doing ok now....or am I....
.... BILL'S SISTER VALARIE
 BILL, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, WATCH OVER US....
It doesn't make sense that the drunk driver did not see my brother.
Such a long straight-a-way road with no hills, etc. The dd's alcohol level was just about
3x the legal limit!! He had no license for 10 years, AND this was his 5th alcohol related offense! My brother died on
impact from at least 5 fatal injuries. (At least he did not suffer!)
| Bill's Mom, Neice, Sister, and Dad |
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| this sign was made by a family friend and put at the accident site. |
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The dd basically walked away from the crash with a bump on his head. He was
driving a F350 Ford truck with a plow frame on the front of it.
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Billy also had his friend Bob in the car with him. Bob was in very rough shape and airlifted
to the hospital were they did not expect him to make it. He was in a coma and suffered many broken bones and head trauma.
The doctors expected him to never wake up and if he did, he would pretty much be a vegetable and would never walk or
talk again. A month or so later, Bob woke up!! He is a fighter. Although he has permanent brain damage and
many difficulties in every day life that many of us take for granted, he learned to walk and talk again and has been
a miracle in our eyes. He has since married his wonderful girlfriend Terri(on Billy's birthday) who
has stayed by his side through and through. In April 2003, Terri gave birth to their son of which they named William
after my brother!!
The man who killed Billy was released on 9/9/02 after serving just under 4
years. He will be on conditional release for two years.
12/03 HERE IS SOME "GOOD" NEWS. MY DAD AND I MET WITH THE MAN WHO KILLED MY BROTHER. HIS NAME IS JOHN, AND ALTHOUGH SOME
MAY NOT AGREE WITH IT, WE HAD TO FOR OUR OWN SELVES. WE NEEDED TO KNOW IF HE HAD CHANGED. HE AGREED TO MEET WITH US AND TO
OUR SATISFACTION, HE SEEMS VERY VERY REMORSEFUL AND HAS NOT DRANK IN 5 YEARS. HE WAS CLEAN AND PRESENTABLE...A CHANGE FROM
THE GUY WE SAW IN COURT. HE ACTUALLY TALKS TO GROUPS ABOUT DRINKING AND DRIVING!!! IT MADE DAD AND I FEEL BETTER TO KNOW THAT
BILLY DID NOT DIE IN VAIN. WE HOPE HE KEEPS IT UP.....
Links to the other pages on this site...
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