Friday, October 26, 2007

Jerry Dean Ash: A Central Care Mission Failure


Jerry Dean Ash -- He spent about a year here at Central Care Mission and completed our intense six month long spiritual based Drug/Alcohol program that has enabled countless men to turn their lives around and become good husbands and fathers.

Unfortunately Jerry did not take to heart the lessons learned at Central Care Mission: Last night he got drunk, ran a red light, hit an SUV and nearly killed the driver, took off his shoes and ran about a mile before he stopped to ask a person to call a cab. Instead this person called the police. The tragedy became complete when the TV9 news crew showed up and Jerry confessed on camera to several serious felonies that almost make certain a long prison sentence.

This tragedy could happen to anyone with a drug and/or alcohol addiction and is unnecessary with all the vast resources of both the State and Church designed to help the addict overcome his dependence on drugs. If you think you need help, you probably do. If you have been helped, don't let your pride keep you from going back to where you first received help. If Jerry had called Central Care Mission a minute before he started his wild ride down Orange Avenuet that will end very likely in the Florida State Prison he would have been told that our door was open.

But you have to knock on the door.

..................................

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Early Friday morning, a man with a long driving record admitted he had been drinking when he crashed into an SUV, causing it to flip over, and then ran away from the scene.

The driver of the SUV hit at Gore Street was in bad shape. Police said the man who hit him is a habitual traffic offender. They said he ran the red light and, when he realized what happened, he got out of his car, took off his shoes and started running.

"I was scared," Jerry Dean Ash said.

Ash, 24, gave Orlando police officers a lot of excuses when they finally caught up with him more than a mile away from the accident he caused.

"Officer, I know it sounds like I'm a bad guy and alcohol does stuff to you, but I really hope they're alright," Ash said as he was being walked back to the scene of the accident.

"You should've just stayed at the scene," the officer replied.

Ash was driving down Orange Avenue when he sped past the red light at Gore Street and ran into the SUV so hard it flipped over. The driver was rushed to the hospital with a swollen face and paramedics had to place a brace around his neck.

After the crash, Ash took off his shoes and ran to East Harding and Baylarian Avenue. He stopped to ask someone to call him a cab, because he had been in an accident. Instead, they called police.

"My life has been going nowhere for a while and maybe this is what I need to wake up," Ash added.

Ash is charged with leaving the scene of an accident and Channel 9 is still trying to learn exactly what is on the long list of prior driving violations. Although he admitted he had been drinking, Ash was not charged with a DUI, because officers couldn't prove he was legally drunk.

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