Independence unites for car-crash victim

IF YOU GO

Independence Trail Run

WHEN: 8 a.m. Saturday, April 18

WHERE: Schoolhouse Pond Road and New Independence Parkway

REGISTRATION: Independence Clubhouse, 14213 Pleach St., Winter Garden or after 7 a.m. April 18 at the start

COST: Minimum suggested donation of $10 per person or $20 per family

CONTACT: [email protected] or (407) 654-7479

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WINTER GARDEN — At about 1 p.m. March 8, Kevin Root, a 32-year-old resident of Independence, was driving near the back entrance of his neighborhood on Tiny Road.

The speed limit is between 35 and 40 mph on that undulating road, said neighbor Todd Wind, who was driving in the opposite direction at the time.

“I was coming home with groceries, and a few neighbors were, as well,” Wind said. “The car directly behind me had come out to cross double-yellow (lines) and pass all the cars, I believe four or five in total.”

That driver, 18-year-old Windermere resident Nicholas Recanati, dangerously sped to the top of a steep hill in excess of 60 mph, a common occurrence Wind thought little of in the moment, he said.

“I thought he would pass me and get back over,” Wind said. “But instead, he accelerated even faster up the hill on the wrong side of the road. When he crested the second hill, he hit Kevin’s car and they collided head-on.”

Other witnesses described the wreck as fiery and violent. Recanati died from the impact, and Root has been in some sector of the intensive-care unit at Orlando Regional Medical Center ever since.

“He had a number of broken bones from his shoulder to his arm, in his ankle and in his leg that they had to reset,” Wind said. “That was a couple surgeries in the beginning. His wife kept saying in his stomach or intestines they had to reconnect something. With all that, there was some infection and some follow-up with those surgeries, so they had to (recommence surgery) a couple times to get that taken care of.”

Beyond that, Root could face more surgeries and be in rehab for years, Wind said.

A MIGHTY WIND

Mutual friends connected Wind to Root’s wife, Ligia, who thanked Wind and other bystanders for calling 911 and offering help.

But Wind’s help has continued, transforming him from a stranger down the street to a friend and ambassador to the community. He has informed neighbors of the predicament and helped to channel the community’s good will into meaningful fundraisers, including a table at the community’s spring festival.

“Everyone in Independence has traveled on that road, most of them multiple times a day,” Wind said. “That could’ve been any of us going over that hill. That’s where I really feel almost compelled to help out. Just because it’s someone I didn’t know at the time doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. It’s just the right thing to do, in my opinion.”

Community members have contributed food in addition to funds needed for costly medical bills, through MealTrain.com, a website tailored to situations like the Roots’ where organizers can coordinate meal donations with donors.

“You can invite people, write how many people are in the house, what foods they like, what they’re allergic to, when to bring foods, stuff like that,” Wind said. “You can go to a calendar and say, ‘This is what food I’m going to bring.’ We’ve had that for a month now. We had a great response to that. It adds up financially. They really appreciated people would take the time to make or get food at a restaurant and drop it off.”

Root’s mother held a fish fry to raise funds, and the community added a 50/50 raffle to the donations from its spring festival and a GoFundMe account, with the raffle winner donating the prize back to Root for a total of about $1,500 in donations toward a $10,000 goal. But the biggest fundraiser is set for April 18, when the community will host a charity run.

TRAIL RUN FOR KEVIN ROOT

The run, which begins at 8 a.m. at the corner of Schoolhouse Pond Road and New Independence Parkway, will include fun apart from the race, such as music, entertainment, raffles and special guests, such as Orange County District 1 Commissioner Scott Boyd and perhaps the Florida Garrison — 501st Legion from Star Wars, said Sandra Acevedo, a lead organizer.

“At the end of the race, we have a water bottle and fruit station for the runners, very typical of a 5K,” she said. “At the end at the Independence Clubhouse, we’ll have a bounce house and Philly’s Best will have a food truck selling breakfast foods, with 20% of proceeds going to the Root family.”

The race will be about three miles along the community bicycle trail, with expectations for more than 160 runners and all donations going to the Roots, Acevedo said.

“We’d absolutely love more,” she said. “Runners are welcome from outside the community.”

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].