A nine-year-old Ohio girl lost her leg after she was hit by a Hummer while riding her bicycle and dragged along the road for nearly half a mile.
Ashley Escalante, 9, rode her bike through a crosswalk with her best friend as they went to Family Dollar to pick up some milk with her mother, father and twin siblings last July. Law & Crime reported.
But their grocery run turned into a nightmare when a driver behind the wheel of an SUV turned around as the family was crossing the street at Wayne Avenue and Clover Street in Dayton.
Horrifying footage was captured of the moment the Hummer failed to stop as the family walked past, causing Ashley to end up in the front tire and driving off while still under the wheel.
Carlos Escalante, Ashley’s father, was seen running after the car – which had sparks shooting from the side – while still holding one of his 18-month-old babies in his arms.
“He grabs my daughter and I say, ‘Hey stop, you have my daughter’ and he looked at me,” Carlos said WIO.
“He dragged her half a mile and I followed him.”
Mayra Martinez, Ashley’s mother, among others, called 911 to say her daughter was trapped in the wheels of the car and that she had no idea where she was.
Ashley Escalante, 9, is finally home from the hospital after she was hit by a Hummer and dragged for a half-mile down the road in July, leading to an amputation of her leg
Terrifying security footage captured the moment the Hummer failed to stop as the family crossed a crosswalk while on their way to get milk from Family Dollar
The horrifying footage showed the car – with sparks shooting out of the side – driving away with Ashley still strapped in, as her father ran after her with one of his 18-month-old babies still in his arms.
When authorities found Ashley, they noted that the “lower portion of her left leg, including her foot, was missing below the knee, and her right leg was also significantly injured.”
“I remember seeing my leg bleeding profusely, and I remember a police officer with red hair,” Ashley said Fox 19 months after the terrible incident.
Ashley was in and out of consciousness when she arrived at the hospital, where she immediately underwent two surgeries – one of which led to the amputation of her leg while doctors worked tirelessly to save the other.
“What kind of person honestly does that to a child, to a family, I just don’t understand it,” Jackeline Mavarette, one of at least 15 family members who traveled to Ohio to stay by Ashley’s side, told WHIO.
Ashley was finally allowed to return home after months of being in medically induced comas and operating theaters in the hospital – although the injuries she suffered will change the course of the rest of her life.
“She loves to serve God, she sings, she dances, and that makes me the saddest,” Mayra told the outlet. “Because I know she’ll be sad when she sees that she can’t use her foot.”
But despite the life-changing accident, nine-year-old Ashley remains grateful as she recalls that fateful night.
Despite the rest of the family walking away with minor injuries, authorities noted that her “lower portion of her left leg, including her foot, was missing below the knee, and her right leg was also significantly injured” after they located her.
Mayra Martinez, Ashley’s mother, initially called 911 to report that her daughter was trapped between the vehicle’s tires and that she had no idea where her daughter was.
Carlos Escalante, Ashley’s father, noted that the family will never be the same after the near-fatal accident
She told Fox19 she is grateful for the woman who ran into the street and pulled her off the road, and for the dedicated staff at the hospital who helped her for months.
“It was very difficult to recover, but I am very grateful to the therapists who helped me,” Ashley said.
The driver of the car was identified as 55-year-old Jeffrey Atkinson, the owner of Cowboys Lodi Bike Stop Bar, who was back at his business after the near-fatal collision.
Atkinson — who was wearing a shirt that read “Support Your Local Outlaws” — walked out of the bar with his hands up after Daytona police asked him if he owned the Hummer parked in the parking lot, and he responded that this was so.
But he began incriminating himself while making statements to officers about being “disabled” and “drunk.”
‘You know what? F*** it, I’m drunk. I admit it,” Atkinson said. “I have a bar.”
When police attempted to administer a routine sobriety test, he admitted he was “too drunk to pass,” Law & Crime reported.
His BAC was said to be .34 – a huge difference from the legal limit of .08.
His charges include operating a vehicle while intoxicated, child endangerment and child endangerment.
Atkinson’s ex-wife announced on Facebook that she will be taking over the Cowboys Lodi Bike Stop.
‘This is the post from Tanya, his ex-wife. “I haven’t worked the counter since the divorce, but the liquor license is still in my name,” she posted.
“I’m in a position where it’s necessary for me to take back ownership of the business… I really hope people come in, see the improvements and know that the management of the bar will be very different.”
The driver of the vehicle was identified as 55-year-old Jeffrey Atkinson, the owner of Cowboys Lodi Bike Stop Bar, who emerged from his business with his hands up after the collision
‘You know what? F*** it, I’m drunk. I admit it. I own a bar,” Atkinson said after Daytona police arrived at his business
Atkinson was eventually arrested on charges of aggravated vehicular assault, child endangerment and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Ashley has not returned to school since the crash and remains at home with her mother as she continues to recover.
“I tell Ashley every day, ‘You’re not alone. You can walk again,” her mother told Fox. “It’s because a lot of people are helping us.”
Atkinson was arrested after the crash outside his bar on charges of aggravated vehicular assault, child endangerment and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
But the family said they will never be the same after that day in July, and no punishment would ever be enough to undo the irreversible damage their daughter has to live with.
“I just want to tell him that I hope the Lord forgives him for what he did to me,” Ashley told Fox 19.
She had plans to get a prosthetic leg for Christmas, but recently broke a bone in the leg that was amputated and will remain in a cast for four to six weeks.