The Palm Beach Post
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — “I need an ambulance ASAP, PLEASE!” Lorenza G. Simmons screamed into her phone. She hit a man with her car.
He’s breathing. He’s not speaking. He’s bleeding.
“Please hurry, please. Please. Please.”
On Thursday, Florida Highway Patrol released the 911 calls from Tuesday’s crash on Interstate 95 that killed 28-year veteran firefighter Lt. Kevin Johns.
Sgt. Mark Wysocky said the the investigation will take weeks before they can determine whether Simmons, a West Palm Beach resident, will face charges.
Around 7 a.m. Tuesday, Johns was driving south on I-95 on his way to work at Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Station 13. The Jupiter resident pulled off of the roadway to fix a flat tire on his car. With his car in mostly in the grass, he stood at the rear right tire as the car Simmons drove swerved out of the right-most lane and hit him.
“I need an ambulance ASAP, please. I need the police. I had a bad accident and my car got off the road and it hit a man please,” she shrieked.
“Ma’am I need you to calm down for me,” the dispatcher said.
Johns must have been bent over behind the car, Simmons told the dispatcher. When she tried to avoid hitting his car, she smashed right into him. He came out of nowhere, she said.
“But is he unconscious?” the dispatcher asked.
“He’s breathing,” her voice trails off from the phone’s speaker. “Can you hear me sir? Sir, can you hear me?”
“He’s breathing but I need somebody here please hurry.”
A car had slowed down in front of her and she had to veer off the road to avoid an accident, she said.
“He flew into my windshield,” she told the operator. Her car was smashed.
While the operators tried to locate Simmons’ car in the ditch, all that can be heard from the 48-year-old woman are whimpers. No one is there yet.
“Oh my God, come on!” she said. “I can’t believe I hit this man.”
Hours later, the father of three was pronounced dead at Delray Medical Center, where dozens of law enforcement officers gathered outside in support of their fallen friend.
A memorial service is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at Sanctuary Church, 1400 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale.
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