What Happened...

This ALL started February 7, 2003 - Approx. 8:30 am...

I was driving down Elder Creek Road (west bound) in the #1 lane.  I was coming up on construction cones & needed to merge to the right lane. I had my blinker on and was trying to pace the cars in the right lane so I could merge in. I was going about 5 mph when the cars in the right lane had a space opening for me. 

Just then, the traffic came to a stand still and I stopped (plus, I was running out of room because construction cones were about 15-20 feet ahead). Right as I stopped, the car behind me rear-ended me. It was minor, (see Appendix B) I thought maybe I heard some plastic break – I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw an African-American man getting out of the drivers side. 

When I saw him get out, I put my transmission into Park, then opened my drivers door to get out. I had my left leg out the door when the man came up, yelling profanities, and stood in the space I needed to get out of the car. As he approached, yelling profanities, he swung and hit me in the face. I was still sitting in my car.  [There is a witness that said the guy hit me multiple times, I only remember being hit once]

I then either lost consciousness or was at least VERY dazed, I was able to hear sounds, but not really comprehend them – I couldn’t move or speak. After a short time (I don’t know how long, maybe just seconds…) I felt like I was able to get my consciousness back while he paced in the center lane, and was constantly yelling at me, telling me I’d better say the accident was my fault. He continued to pace and yell at me, then he would step up within inches of my face and spit on me. I was crying, hyperventilating, and I was bleeding from my nose and mouth all over my clothes and car. (see Appendix D)

He demanded my insurance information; I pulled out my wallet and pulled my Insurance card from my wallet.  I had the insurance card in my left hand and my wallet in my right hand, He grabbed both.  The only verbal responses I said to him were, "yes sir" or "okay sir"  (I wanted him to feel he was getting my respect and that I was very intimidated by him).

He had the adult female that was a front seat passenger in his car come over and write down my insurance information. She asked me for a pen and paper. I had a pen laying in my front passenger seat and a golf scorecard that I handed to her. She left my view area (I don’t know where to). I was still sitting in the drivers seat with my left leg out the door on the ground.

He continued to be abusive, pacing in the center lane. He told me he should just kill me cause I did this to him with his two kids in his car. Then he said he would kill me if I didn’t say the accident was my fault. I said I wanted the police and he said he’d kill me if I called the police. I again said, "okay sir" "yes sir" and "I'm sorry"...

At some point he had the pen and paper (that I had given to the girl) and he was asking for my address and phone number. Fearing for my safety, I gave him an old address of mine on Callie Lane and I made up a phone number.

This whole time I was trying hard not to fall back unconscious - my body wanted to just  lay out - I had to keep shaking my head to keep me attention & not pass out.  My eye sight was blurry... 

[I don’t remember getting my wallet or pen back from him, but apparently I did because the police later found it in my car.]

The whole time I felt like I was fighting to stay conscious, my sight kept getting fuzzy and sounds would kind of blur out – it would come it and out.

He walked back to his car and yelled at me not to move until he was gone or else he would kill me.

Then, he started his car and honked at me – leaned out his window (I could see in my rear-view mirror) and he yelled at me to move out of his way.

This whole time I am bleeding, crying and hyperventilating.

Leaving my leg out the door, I just moved the transmission to drive, took my foot off the brake, and rolled forward a few feet.

He pulled out into traffic and was moving slow enough I was able to try to read his license plate number.

I quickly grabbed the pen and a envelope that was on the passenger seat & wrote down the number, make and model I thought it was.

I then pulled my leg into the car, closed my door and did a u-turn right up onto the sidewalk and immediately grabbed my phone and called Dianna.

I couldn’t talk, I was crying and hyperventilating… I didn’t know where I was… then a lady pulled up – yelled to me to stay still & that she had called 911…  She had witnessed everything... 

Police, Fire, Ambulance and News10 arrived about 8:55am… (News10 article)

Friday, February 7 - When I went to the ER after the assault, I was treated for the broken nose and facial swelling and prescribed Vicodin (Hydrocodone 5/500), Motrin (Ibuprofen 800MG), and Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) for pain and swelling. I also noted to the doctors that my throat felt slightly sore. The doctor(s) attributed the sore throat to the blood that I had swallowed from my injuries.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - I took Vicodin every 4 hours for the pain of my nose and Motrin every 8 hours for the swelling.

Monday, February 10 - By 2 am Monday morning, my throat was extremely sore. I looked in the mirror and found white spots on my tonsils. I called the Kaiser Advice Nurse at 6 am the same day and got an appointment for 8:30 am. The appointment was to meet with a nurse and do a Strep Throat culture. The culture is supposed to take 24 hours to return results from the lab before antibiotics are issued. When the nurse saw my throat, she immediately met with my regular doctor and had Erythromycin 250MG (antibiotic) prescribed.

By Monday late night I was vomiting and again called the Kaiser Advice Nurse. Because I already had an appointment scheduled for Tuesday morning with Dr. Allan Lue an ENT doctor at Kaiser South, the advise nurse said to stop taking the Erythromycin and Dr. Lue would be able to prescribe me a different antibiotic.

Tuesday, February 11 – I met with the ENT doctor who confirmed again that my nose was broken and he suggested that in order to correct the nose he would have to manipulate the cartilage in the nose, however, he said this would be extremely painful and that due to the strep throat he suggested to wait three months before having nose surgery to fix the deviated septum. I told him about my reaction to the Erythromycin and he prescribed Cleocin (Clindamycin 150MG) (antibiotic). Along with Phenergan (Promethazine 25MG [anti-nausia] and Xylocaine (Lidocaine) solution [for throat pain].

By late Tuesday night I began developing redness on my face and early Wednesday morning I developed redness and bumps on my neck.

Wednesday, February 12 - I again called Kaiser Advice Nurse on Wednesday morning complaining of redness and bumps on the majority of my body and difficulty breathing and swallowing. In addition, my face was swollen and I had a fever and the nurse advised me to go to the ER immediately.

I arrived at the ER about 6:30 am. Originally, they treated me with Benedryl & a steroid.  The ER doctor believed I was having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic, Cleocin. After several hours of not responding to treatment, more doctors came in to examine me. It was determined that my Strep throat had progressed to Scarlet Fever. I was prescribed Zithromax 250MG and told me I could take Benedryl for the redness & if any itching and I was sent home. 

Thursday, February 13 – By mid-afternoon, my rash was beginning to burn much like that of a severe sunburn, I contacted my general practionar, Roxie Franklin, N.P.. She prescribed Atarax (Hydroxzine 25MG) [which is a stronger version of Benedryl].

I continued to feel burning over my body. By 10 pm I began developing blisters on my arms and they began oozing. By midnight, I again called the Kaiser Advice Nurse, told her everything that had happened and was happening and she advised me to immediately go to the ER.

Friday, February 14 – I arrived at the Kaiser (Morse) ER at 12:30 am and was immediately placed in a room. By this time I was writhing in pain from the blisters on my arms. The pain was so bad the only way they could control it was with morphine.  After many hours in the ER and many doctors later, I was admitted.  I was told I could have a life threatening illness call Stevens-Johnson Syndrome...

The blistering on my arms was so bad they said if the skin started to sluff off that I would be transferred to the burn unit...

The doctors took a biopsy of a blister on my right arm and sent it off to the lab.  (not the best way to spend Valentines Day!)

I stayed at Kaiser until Monday, February 17.  By this time, the blistering was subsiding and I was getting some energy back.

Tuesday, February 18 - I woke up with a head cold!

As of Wednesday, February19, I was taking Minocin (Minocycline 100MG) antibiotic and Vicodin for pain.

My arms resembled those of a burn victim, from wrist to shoulder.  I had limited movement due to the tight, cracking, peeling, and blistered skin. (see Appendix E)

It was determined that the Vicodin and Motrin I was taking due to the broken nose, masked the symptoms of the Strep Throat and the Strep Throat went untreated too long before an antibiotic could take effect. Thus creating Scarlet Fever.  In treating the Scarlet Fever, my body rejected multiple antibiotics, the combination of antibiotics in my body created complications... causing Stevens Johnson Syndrome.... and my skin burned, like a chemical burn, from the inside out.... head to toe...

UPDATES:

Tuesday, February 18  - The guy that assaulted me was arrested at the office of his probation officer.  He has admitted to being at the scene and in a car accident but says that I must have broke my nose from the impact of the accident.  He said something to the affect that he may have shoved me while I was standing next to my car but that he only did that because I was being aggressive towards him.  I am told by police that this is a third strike offence and that this guy is a member of a gang.  At this point, I am just waiting for a call from the DA's office on what is going to happen next...

Saturday, February 22nd, I returned to the Kaiser ER with abdominal pains Saturday evening.  I was put back on a IV due to dehydration and labs were done to check for kidney and/or liver failure.

My kidneys are fine but my liver is having some issues.  I was sent home, told to stop taking the Minocin and to take Vicodin for the pain/cramping and return for a DR appointment on Monday morning to do more labs...

Monday, February 24 - It was determined that my body was now rejecting another antibiotic, Minocin - that what was creating the abdominal pains...

Wednesday, February 26th -- I am doing good, I am improving... the biopsy that was done on the first day I was admitted to the hospital STILL hasn't returned with results... though, my doctor is convinced I did develop Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

I am still planning on returning to work on March 3rd...

Monday, March 3rd - I have returned to work and am hoping to have enough energy to make it through a full work week

Friday, March 7th - I spoke with the DA on Tuesday - apparently the guy isn't a candidate for the three-strikes law and they have offered him a plea deal of 1 year jail time.  One Year!  Yes! I am not happy about that!  He has a court hearing on Monday morning (March 10th) which I will be going to...

Monday March 10th - starting back to work almost full time - court hearing postponed...

Monday, March 17th - Cartrell Howard entered a plea of "No Contest" and will be sentenced on April 14 to 1 year in County jail and 4-5 of probation.

early-April - Was contacted by Probation and asked to write a Victims Impact Statement - they want to recommend 4 years in State Prison to the judge... I wrote a 3 page letter listing everything above...

Monday, April 28, 2003 - Cartrell Howard was sentenced to 3 years in State prison, received his second strike and I was told he has to serve 85% of his time before parole can even be considered.  DA said, of the 72 days he had already served, on 23 we considered good-behavior days...

2005 - Cartrell Howard got out of prison early, did not serve 85% -- had I been invited to his parole hearing, he'd still be in prison...

Also, Victims Compensation Fund (the fund created specifically for victims) helped me in no way - they said I should get reimbursed via my car insurance company.  State Farm policy doesn't protect me from Road Rage, I had no injuries from the accident, but rather from the assault after, they wouldn't reimburse - this went back and fourth for months... finally, I didn't want to deal with it anymore - feeling beaten again... I gave up fighting with them...

Return to Top of Page