Church’s welcome helps crash victim cope

Dan Lassiter, 20, shows a photograph of the car he was driving when a mechanical problem caused it to swerve and hit a truck last October. He is recuperating at his Phillipsburg home now after spending seven months in Miami Valley Hospital.

Staff photo by Jan Underwood Dan Lassiter, 20, shows a photograph of the car he was driving when a mechanical problem caused it to swerve and hit a truck last October. He is recuperating at his Phillipsburg home now after spending seven months in Miami Valley Hospital.

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By Dale Huffman, Staff Writer Updated 9:56 PM Wednesday, July 8, 2009

On the day of the accident, Oct. 3, 2008, Dan Lassiter, a graduate of the Miami Valley Career Technology Center in Clayton, and a part-time student at Sinclair Community College, had taken off from his job at Walmart and had driven to Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton with his grandfather, Herman Ayres, 88, as a passenger. They went to visit Dan’s father, Joe, who had just had a hip-replacement operation.

On the way home, while traveling on Ohio 49 outside of Phillipsburg, the Lassiter car, a 2003 Chevy Malibu, “all of a sudden jerked left of center hitting a fully loaded gravel truck on the left corner bumper,” said the father, Joe. “Dan’s car immediately started breaking apart. When the car stopped, Dan was half in the car, half out, being held in only by his seat belt. My father-in-law was pinned in the passenger’s right front seat.”

The grandfather suffered a few broken vertebrae in his neck, a sprained ankle and a bruised face where the air bag hit him, Lassiter said.

“But my son was mangled on his left side. His body had slipped down under the steering wheel, and his face just had one small gash. But his left leg was crushed, and there were multiple injuries in his lower body. Among other things, his pancreas was torn in half.”

According to the Ohio Highway Patrol report on the accident, the car driven by Dan was going 48 mph in the 55 mph zone when it appears that a mechanical problem caused the driver to swerve to the left.

Witnesses told the investigators they could see Dan frantically trying to turn the steering wheel to the right just before the collision.

The truck was loaded with 65,000 pounds of gravel, and the truck driver escaped without injury. The highway patrol did not issue any citations in the accident.

During his recuperation, Dan has been shadowed by his father, who has been his constant companion and nurse.

Because of the sagging economy Joe was laid off from his job as a machinist at the Creative Cabinets Co. in January. “Actually it was a blessing in disguise,” Joe said. “It freed me up to be there for my son around the clock when he was fighting for his life.”

Finally, during the Thanksgiving season in November, doctors first told the Lassiters that Dan was turning a corner, and had a better chance of survival. The young man continued to rally and after it was explained to him that his left leg was beyond healing or repair, his leg was amputated April 9. He was released to come home to continue his rehab May 8.

Dan’s mother, Shirley, is the full-time secretary and assistant to the pastor at First Baptist Church, 140 Elva Court in Vandalia, where the church quickly “adopted” Dan.

The mother described what happened May 10, Mother’s Day, when she and her husband brought Dan to church for the first time after he was released from hospital care.

“When we got in the foyer the people were so excited about seeing Dan. So many came to him and just made him feel loved. Words can not express how wonderful it was,” Shirley said. “When I finally wheeled him into the sanctuary you could hear the reaction. The little ladies from my Sunday school class saw Dan and they began to applaud. The minister soon announced that there was someone in attendance that the church members had been praying for since last October. When he mentioned Dan’s name people began to clap and stood up, giving Dan a standing ovation. People had tears in their eyes and it was just wonderful. Dan needed that touch of love.”

During an interview earlier this week, Dan said that his welcome home from church members, and the prayers of caring friends have helped him deal with his challenge.

“I went through a few dark days along this path,” he said. “It just wasn’t an easy decision to let them amputate the leg. I prayed over it, a lot. I need to thank God, my parents and all the wonderful people who have been there for me.”

Dan said he hopes to return to Sinclair full-time when he is better, and will likely pursue a career involving computers. “I have also thought about working in communications and public speaking,” he added.

He also thanked the Dayton Blood Center and those who donated blood to refill the 200 units he used.

“I am pretty much getting better, little by little, every day,” he said. “It will be great when I can walk again.”

Dale Huffman wants your suggestions and story ideas. He’d like to share a story about you, your family, or a friend. This column is for you. Send e-mail to dhuffman@DaytonDailyNews.com or write to Dale at 1611 S. Main St. Dayton, OH 45409. Fax: (937) 225-2489. Phone: (937) 225-2272.

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