Shortly after 10 on the night of Valentines Day, he pulled over on the shoulder of Highway 69.

With sha ing fingers, hands, and thoughts, he had trou!le dialing his dads phone nu"!er, #Dad, $%$%$ &ust hit a wo"an.' (rittain slowly pulled over a!out )00 feet away fro" the !ody. #$ new she was dead whenever $ glan*ed into "y rear view "irror.' She lay in the "iddle of the highway dressed in dar *lothing, her ar"s and legs sprawled out li e a doll. +he left side of her !ody was *aved in, as if all her !ones had !een shattered. Her disheveled !runette hair hid her fa*e. (lood surrounded her !ro en !ody and painted her por*elain right *hee . Her red high heels, the only *olor in her attire landed 1,0 feet away.

#+he i"age is !urned into "y "e"ory. -i e a huge rag doll,' (rittain .arshall said as he re"e"!ered his life *hanging e/perien*e. He was only 19 years old at the ti"e. 0n the *old, dry and windy 1e!ruary night, (rittain wat*hed the wo"an fly over the windshield of his white Dodge tru* and spin 20 feet into the air li e the !lades of a heli*opter. Se*onds turned into "inutes and "inutes into hours as he fro3e in *o"plete sho* . #$t really happened in a !lin of an eye. When they say stuff really happens in a !lin of an eye, it happens.'

4lthough there were other *ars on the road, only four stopped to offer help. +wo of those were (rittains friends. 4 little !la* *ar loaded with four girls fro" his high s*hool pulled over

in sho* . 0ne nervously dialed 911. (rittains *lose friend +i" and his girlfriend stopped to *o"fort hi". +i"s girlfriend rushed over to the !ro en wo"an, and flipped her to *he* her pulse and see if she was !reathing. #$ *ouldnt get anywhere near that !ody. +he wo"an flipped over and "oved li e 5ell%0. $ loo ed one ti"e and never loo ed again.' #$f the wo"an had !een hit !y the little !la* *ar, she *ould have in&ured those four girls. $f she had !een hit !y +i"s 1ord 6anger, she *ould have ended up in his girlfriends lap.'

7ra!!ing his head, his nees !u* led with pani* as he s8uatted down not nowing what

was going ne/t.

+he wo"ans red shoe lay in the "iddle of Highway 69 % 12 News Feb 15, 2013

to happen

Dis*onne*ted thoughts swar"ed through his da3ed "ind as he an/iously waited for his fa"ily and the poli*e to arrive. 5ail ti"e and the possi!ility of the wo"ans fa"ily see ing un nown answers worried (rittain. He said it felt as if the universe around hi" was "oving faster than the

speed of light while he re"ained fro3en in sho* . He was surprised that his own !ody did not shut down.

4s he related the story of that night, (rittain paused !riefly to loo into his lap and let out

(rittain stopped a!out )00 feet away fro" the wo"ans !ody % Google Maps Feb 2013

nervous giggle, reali3ing he was wearing the sa"e e/a*t outfit fro" that *old 1e!ruary night. He *ontinued, #$ didnt thin $ was going to !e a!le to *ope with the fa*t that so"ething li e that happened to "e.' %%%%%%% 4s his father and granddad arrived a!out 10 "inutes later, they par ed the *ar !ehind a poli*e offi*er, trying to !lo* the view of the reporters on s*ene. (rittain ran full speed to his dad, not *aring who else was there. +ears strea"ed down his trou!led fa*e. His dad e"!ra*ed

hi" with a tight, reassuring hug (rittain said. 4n offi*er soon *a"e up fro" !ehind and gently ru!!ed the top of his !a* !etween his shoulder !lades. #+his *ops na"e is 0ffi*er Wilson. $ will never forget this "an. He helped "e so "u*h in ti"e of need and will always have "y respe*t.' (rittain said that 0ffi*er Wilson was the "ost *aring of all the offi*ers. He "ade it a

tell (rittain

(rittains tru* was par ed on the shoulder, running the whole three%hour investigation 9 12 News Feb 15, 2013

point to that the

a**ident was not his fault, relieving so"e unwanted stress.

+he wo"an did not have an identity. She instantly !e*a"e unre*ogni3a!le and her little !la* purse did not hold her $D. (rittain said he re"e"!ered a single offi*er using a hand held flashlight loo ing for any sign to help identify the wo"an. +he fa*t that no identifi*ation was found, (rittain said he was !othered !e*ause her fa"ily would not now what had happened to her. He was not even thin ing of hi"self. %%%%%%%

:ews spread li e a wildfire within (rittains fa"ily. ;hone *alls !o"!arded his dads phone, adding stress to the situation. (rittains aunt five hours away ran into her daughters roo" yelling, #(rittain &ust hit a wo"an and illed her<' 4s a result 4nsley, (rittains *ousin, said she had a pani* atta* and instantly thought that he was going to &ail. +o help hi" *ope with the overwhel"ing stress, (rittains fa"ily and friends *o"forted hi" through his intense e"otional !rea down. 5a e :elson, one of (rittains !est friends, was one of the last people to hear the news. He was i""ediately prepared to drive fro" =ollege Station to *onsole his friend. His father did not let hi" !e*ause it was a long drive. 5a e said he felt powerless to help and !ro e into tears. #$ had people who loved "e and $ new they will always !e with "e through anything.' %%%%%% +wo wee s after the a**ident, (rittains dad re*eived a phone *all fro" the =hief of the -u"!erton ;oli*e Depart"ent. +he to/i*ology report was released to !oth (rittains and the wo"ans fa"ily.

+he wo"an was three ti"es over the legal li"it of al*ohol and had signifi*ant a"ounts of *o*aine, heroin and "ari&uana in her syste". Sin*e the wo"an was wearing dar *lothing and wal ed out into the "iddle of the highway on her own, (rittain was not at fault. #$ had a sense of relief !e*ause $ reali3ed that when she died she didnt feel a thing.' %%%% $t too (rittain "ore than a "onth to drive past the s*ene of the a**ident. >ven though he anti*ipated what he was going to see, (rittain said he was still so unprepared that he *ould !arely his
(rittain e/plaining to the -u"!erton ;oli*e Depart"ent what had happened 9 12 News Feb 15, 2013

des*ri!e feelings.

He found it hard to get into his *ar and drive anywhere. He said it was too early to relive that "o"ent. Sin*e the a**ident, (rittain said he has driven past that spot at least 20 ti"es to get to his dads house. #>very ti"e $ drive !y, $ loo at that one spot.' +he one pie*e of advi*e that helps (rittain the "ost during his healing pro*ess is to never !ottle in e"otions. His grand"other told hi" to not hold it all in !e*ause it will always !uild into so"ething worse. When (rittain is weighed down !y the thoughts of that 1e!ruary night, he finds so"eone *lose to hi" and releases so"e of the strain. Depending on the day, his tension and thoughts *o"e with ease. 4fter wat*hing the para"edi*s pi* up the !ro en !ody fro" the road, (rittain said he *ould not let anyone live through sa"e situations alone. He soon reali3ed that !e*o"ing a para"edi* hi"self was his *alling. +hin ing a!out helping people *ope through pain, stress, and

e"otional !rea downs, (rittain said he loo s forward to the "any years of assisting people in need. #$t too "e a wee or two to fully reali3e that 7od gave "e this !urden on "y shoulders !e*ause He new that $ was the one who *ould handle it.'

+he painted *ir*le where the wo"an landed on Highway 69 9 Google Maps Feb