The Worst Day of My Life

by Sheri Moermond
(Hamilton, OH United States)

My husband Stacy Moermond Jr. age 23 of Hamilton, OH was killed by a drunk driver on June 19,2010. My husband had just picked up our 2 sons ages 6 and 1 about 20 minutes before Stacy was killed thank god they were unhurt. Stacy ran out of gas of State rt 63 in Monroe, OH about 7:30 P.M. and got out of the vehicle to put gas in it and the drunk driver drove into the shoulder where Stacy was parked and ran him over. I had been at the hospital all day with Stacy's grandma and got home at 8:30 P.M. when the phone rang, it was my dad saying that we had to go pick the boys up from the state highway patrol in Monroe that there had been an accident, I asked him what happened and he wasn't sure then the other phone rang and it was my friend telling me that Stacy had been ran over, I started screaming and freaking out that was by far the worst day of my life and we didn't even know yet if he was still alive. My dad picked me up and we went to Monroe, the police said they weren't sure if he was alive or not but that he had been taken by helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. My dad took the boys home with him that night and me, my aunt, and her boy-friend drove to the hospital to find out what was going on, the trauma unit guy came into the emergency waiting room and took us to the consultation room I asked him if my husband was still alive and he said wait for the physician to come in and I asked 1 more time because I was not accepting that answer and the trauma unit guy said I'm sorry he's no longer alive. I lost it at that point, I hit the floor and screamed, then I got sick, and when the physician came in I yelled at her and asked her why she didn't save him and she said they did all they could but he was unresponsive from the time the paramedics responded at the crime scene. I asked to see him and the physician told me no his injuries were too severe and she said we usually don't tell family members no but we just needed to remember him how he was. The hardest thing was telling our 6 year old that his daddy had died and was now an angel watching over us. The funeral home had to use a photo that we had given them to reconstruct his face for the funeral, they did the best they could and did great considering but it just didn't look like my husband. We were high school sweethearts and had been together since we were 16 our 4 year wedding anniversary is coming up on September 23, 2010 which also would have been Stacy's 24th birthday. The kids and I are going through counseling, the 1 year old who will be two on September 11th wakes up with nightmares screaming no daddy no and bawling his eyes out. As for the drunk driver, this was his 4th DUI and his trial is coming up in October, he is ony facing 2-8 years and in the state of Ohio the DUI doesn't become a felony until the 5th one. I am dreading the trial because that is when the pictures of the crime scene and morgue will be shown.