At the time of the crash, my husband, Roy, and my youngest daughter, Lisa, and I were spending the Fourth of July together. I thought about Renee and asked my husband, “Have you talked to Benee today?” We called her Benee because all the kids couldn’t pronounce the “R” sound when she was small. My husband said, “No,” so I called her around 5:00 while others enjoyed the holiday, and we talked about her plans. Renee shared she was heading to view the fireworks display in Pittsburg and I wished her a fun, safe time before ending our conversation with “Love it!” This was my family’s way of saying, “I love you.” I passed the phone to my husband, who had a small conversation before ending the call with, “Love it!” During that time, my youngest daughter was spending time with her boyfriend. My husband and I watched the fireworks on television around 9 before heading to bed. Little did I know, that after the fireworks, Renee was driving home on the interstate before she was hit by a drunk
driver. I deliberately left his name out of reports because his and my daughter’s name don’t get to share the same space. My husband responded to a phone call that afternoon. Renee’s ex-boyfriend mentioned not being able to find her. My husband told me to get up because he knew something was wrong. We went downstairs and used the internet to locate Pittsburg late news. Shown was a very smashed red car, and Roy looked at it before stating, “That’s her.” I said, “No, it isn’t. How do you know that’s her? It’s a red car.” So, I started calling every local hospital in Pittsburg to check the emergency rooms. There was no record of her admittance. I told my Roy it must be fine and not that she was in a car accident. I didn’t consider the fact that she was already dead and transporting to the morgue. That thought never passed through my mind.
“ ... Renee was in fourth grade when she was told she couldn’t play the flute ... ... Renee later excelled at the flute throughout her highschool and college years ... ”
December 2022
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