Hurt in Florida crash, GR woman in coma

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Nearly a month after a crash along a Florida interstate that killed 11 people, a Grand Rapids couple injured in the crash returned home Wednesday - though she remains in a coma.

Margie and Bernie DeWit were driving near Gainesville , Fla. on I-75 Jan. 29 when heavy smoke and fog covered the highway. The decreased visibility caused a massive pileup involving a dozen cars and six trucks. 11 people died and more than a dozen were injured.  Both Bernie and Margie were among the injured.

"It was a war zone," said Bernie.  "It was just unbelievable.  I mean, I've never seen an accident like that."

After nearly a month , the DeWits are back in Grand Rapids. Bernie has a broken bone in his back, and has to wear a brace nearly all the time, except when he's sleeping. He told 24 Hour News 8 the doctors say if he "minds his p's and q's " he'll be able to take it off in a few weeks.  

But he's not concerned about himself and his injuries.

"I'm not that bad," he said. "I'll get better."

He's worried about his wife of nearly 40 years, Margie, who's been in a coma since the crash.

"You have to hold on to the little hope that she'll come out of it -- but you don't know," he said.

The couple was in Florida, just starting a vacation, Bernie said. They were driving on the Interstate, when Bernie said, the semi-truck in front of them vanished into the smoke and fog covering the highway.

"I was gonna get out [of our car] and try to find the shoulder because I couldn't see," said Bernie. "If I had done that, I would have probably been dead."

The pair was rear-ended by a semi. Bernie said their car turned around several times before it stopped.  And at first he didn't even realize he was injured.

He was worried about Margie.

"[Immediately after the accident] she was breathing, but she sort of had her head up against the seat," he said. "I didn't want to move her because they say with the neck and back injury they say don't move her, so I just waited until the paramedics got there."

Bernie held her hand until help got there.

The hospital was only about five miles away.  Margie was treated for head injuries, and initially, her family was told she wouldn't be able to leave it for at least six weeks.

Three weeks later she was well enough to travel, and Bernie said they're looking for positive signs.

"She's pretty much the same she was before, I mean she's moving her feet, she's starting to yawn a little bit.  We're taking those as good signs -- we don't know," said Bernie.  "And I don't know if it's imagination either, because you're just trying to look for something that's positive."

He said he's relying on his faith, and trying to keep a positive attitude.

"You just have to," he told 24 Hour News 8. "I mean, that's just the way I am. Everybody calls me sort of negative, but something like this happens and you just have to (be positive) or else you'd go nuts -- it'd be a lot easier if she'd wake up -- then I'd be a lot more positive."

Bernie said even after all that's happened, he's not angry.  He said he just thinks they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"It was an accident, it was an accident.  But," he said while shrugging, "you know, nobody could see.  I just happened to be able to stop.  In hind sight, I would have done some things different, but you didn't know."

He said at this point he's just praying for her -- and hopes others will too.

"You just hope, down the road that she's gonna open her eyes," said Bernie.