THE AFTERMATH - THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT
 
 
 
 
For four years, I have been trying to piece together what took place the day my brother died. When we first learned of my brother’s death, we were told by the Coroner that my brother had fallen asleep. I questioned him falling asleep because when we went out to the crash scene we could not understand how he would have been asleep on such a road. I spent years casting blame on a lot of people not just for the wreck, but for the entire investigation, reports of the wreck and just for never feeling we were told what happened. When we first saw the skid marks it appeared to us that the school bus had went into his lane. We heard a few different stories about the wreck, but even those didn't make a lot of sense. I knew there was only one person that could honestly tell me the story and that was the bus driver herself.
I never had a real understanding of why she never contacted us, but I have never been in a situation like she was and everyone has their own way of dealing with things. In July 2007, I got to hear her side to the wreck and after hearing from her things are a lot clearer to me than they were 4 years ago. Though, I will never understand why some of those who were professionals did such a sloppy job in there entire process and pretty much either added there own accounts to the crash or just didn't want to add anything at all.
What I have learned is that she did not believe my brother was asleep. She informed me that the truck behind her was apparently to close to her and she was checking her mirrors. When she looked in front of her my brother for unknown reasons was in her lane. She told me that both she and him tried to steer towards the center. Both, just trying to avoid the wreck. When we first were told he had fallen asleep my thoughts were at first good then hopefully he just had no idea what happened. Then I couldn't understand how anyone actually knew he was asleep and how he could have just turned a sharp turn being asleep. I could still continue to question things, but the one thing I have learned is that regardless that day was set for my brother to be called home. If I was to blame someone I guess I would have to blame GOD, but I won't. I'm glad I got to hear the other side to the wreck.
Another question I had asked was that we heard someone was with my brother and believed to have performed CPR on him. The driver told me that a neighbor who is an EMT had went to the car and was rubbing his head and talking to him. When I read this I lost it. I'm sure she was comforting him and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for being there in his final moments.
These are a few pages from the police report.
 
 
*Click to enlarge the report
I want to add to this that when we first were told what happened we never thought for one second the bus driver was at fault, We clearly believed that my brother had fallen asleep and went into the other lane. I started having questions when we went to the scene. That is when things just didn't seem clear to us from what we told by the coroner and some other people who were around the area. I'm grateful I have gotten the chance to find out from her side what happened. I hope that not only myself, but she can find some relief in our communication. I did not mean to cast blame we just went for so long not knowing and going on a bunch of stories and unprofessional police reports. I will also say though I don't blame anyone I still feel disgusted at the police investigation or reports and just how things were handled on there part of the wreck.
Cross we placed on the road.
On August 12th, my cousin and I went to see the car. The car was in a locked storage garage. My cousin had lifted up the garage door and I was overwhelmed to what was starring me in the face. This was no damn car. The entire front of the car/engine and all was completely and totally destroyed. The frame of the car buckled and the underneath was touching the ground. There was fluids and glass evrywhere. The steering wheel had from the bottom bent under. The entire front dash had came so far in that "had" my brother been able to survive he probably would have had no legs. The center of the steering wheel was split in the middle and I could see the air bag still inside.
There were alot of personal belongings in the car that we had managed to get out. My brother had a pair of mechanix racing gloves he wore when he worked on a vehicle. We got them, his lunch box, work clothes, glasses, cell phone, his Ford Racing Jacket and the Dale Jarrett hat that he was wearing at the time the wreck happened. My cousin had pulled a bag out from under the seat. What he found in there was something so heartbreaking. He handed me a laminated card with my brothers writing on it. My brother had written a poem about my half-brother that had passed away in 1989. We had never got to meet him and that upset my brother terriably. Also, with that poem was a photo of the car from a previous wreck he had on icey roads.
11/6/03
**Finally after 7 Months we received the Autopsy and Toxicology report. The main cause of death as previously noted was caused by head-trauma that caused heart failure. Shawn also suffered extensive facial, chest, arm and hand lacerations. Both legs were broken (or as noted in the report obvious deformities), dislocated hip, and broken ribs.
To View the Photos of the "Wrecked Mustang" Shawn was Driving in the accident that took his life, Click Here.
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