Witness Statement

Trigger Warning: Cursing. De*th of child. Suicide.

Squatted down, head in his hands, a broken man wept. “Mr. Carlisle, I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t even begin to understand how you must be feeling. The loss of a loved one is devastating, and seeing it happen…is just …” Officer Sasha sighed heavily.

“Get away from me” Jacob Carlisle mumbled, “Leave me alone.”

The pulsing blue and red police lights glimmered off the wet pavement and flashed on their faces.

“Forgive me, but I need to collect a witness statement sir.”

Jacob looked up at her with bloodshot eyes and tear stained cheeks; Sasha stood silent.

He rose straightening up and stared out at the darkening sky. They said nothing for some time, then Jacob took in a sharp inhale as fresh tears flowed down his face.

In a minivan parked just behind a quiet ambulance Jacob’s wife Penny sat in the driver's seat shell shocked. Her eyes were wide and glazed over, and her mouth hung open. A second police officer stood by the open window trying to speak to Penny, but there was no life in her face. Jacob couldn’t even tell if she was breathing, he didn’t care either.

“Just take your time, Mr. Carlisle, try to tell me what happened,” Sasha said.

“Mol-Molly,” Jacob immediately choked on a sob while saying his daughter's name, “my baby girl.” He continued to watch his wife in the family car and began to speak, as if to her. Officer Sasha opened her notepad and waited.

“Penny had just gone into the shop to order a cake for Molly’s third birthday. I was there across the street by the swings. I zipped up Molly’s little pink jacket and took her out of the stroller. She ran right to the sandbox like she always does…” his voice trailed off. He looked across the street in the direction of the kiddie park. There next to a smoldering metal fender lie a green mangled heap that used to be a plastic turtle sandbox. Clumps of sand and large stones lay flung in all directions, and a small broken yellow pail rocked in the breeze. The sad face of the turtle stared back at Jacob.

“I said ‘Not for too long, Molly Moo, we have to meet mommy in a few minutes’. She was already in the sandbox digging and giggling. Oh God, I can hear her little laugh.” Jacob flopped down onto the curb, put his face in his hands and began to sob loudly. A tear streamed down Sasha’s face as she took notes, but she remained silent.

An EMT approached quietly with two cups of coffee and handed them to Sasha before retreating. Sasha squatted down and held out the cup near Jacob’s face. Jacob looked up and took the cup without thinking about it. They both sat on the curb and drank without talking.

After a few moments Jacob cleared his throat. “The road was slick when we drove up today, but not enough to slide God Dammit! It was just a fucking drizzle, barely even rain! How did he fucking slide? How did he fucking flip over?!” Jacob threw the coffee cup in anger. He was standing and shouting in the middle of the road now. Without moving her head, Penny shifted her eyes to where Jacob stood with Officer Sasha. An EMT and the second police officer stopped talking and looked at Sasha too. Sasha shook her head at them and put a hand on Jacob’s arm; Jacob crumpled to his knees in a heap.

“I was standing right here like I always do when I have a cigarette. God I need a cigarette…” he rolled off his knees and onto his behind. Lighting the cigarette he continued. “I was looking right at her, she was making a little castle with the pail and laughing. She kept looking up at me, she was so happy. I just kept smiling and waving. It was only a couple of minutes.”

As the second police officer walked away from the minivan, Penny quietly slipped the key into the ignition. She watched Jacob speaking and pressed her foot onto the break petal. A sudden silence seemed to envelope the scene as a low fog rolled in.

“I heard tires screeching.” Jacob turned his head toward the bend in the road just before the park, “it was so loud.” Jacob closed his eyes, “A blue Honda came careening around the corner…he was going so fast” his whole body seemed to be trembling, “I-I think I dropped my cigarette. And then it felt like time slowed down.”

“The car, it started to tip, it hit the wall.” Jacob pointed at a crude opening in the low stone wall that surrounded the kiddie park. “It looked like it was raining boulders, or, or like in those war movies when you see an explosion.” There was a look of terror on Jacob’s face as tears continued to pour down his cheeks. “I screamed her name.”

He turned suddenly to Officer Sasha, “She looked right at me. Molly looked right into my eyes. It’s like she knew. Like she was saying goo-” his voice cracked.

Officer Sasha gasped. “There was screaming from behind me. Penny was running into the street. Then, people, everywhere. And screaming… I-I couldn’t move.”

Officer Sasha closed her notepad, “Mr. Carlisle, I think it best you go home now.” Jacob just nodded. “We have a grief counselor and therapist that I’d like to refer to you and your wife. We also have a medical attorney who can help you through this difficult time. I can get everything you need situated and send a patrol car to your house in the morning.” She helped Jacob to his feet.

Penny realized the officers were beginning to pack things up and watched the EMTs get into the ambulance. The officer that had been speaking to her started his patrol car, and Penny started the minivan at the same time. None of them heard it. She twisted the steering wheel out towards the street as she watched Jacob get to his feet.

“Here’s my card, please give me a call if you need anything Mr. Carlisle.” Officer Sasha placed the card in Jacob’s hand then turned and gave a solemn nod towards Penny before moving towards the squad car. Jacob stood alone in the center of the street.

Penny slammed down on the gas petal of the mini van. Jacob looked up at her and didn't move. It’s like he already knew. They looked into each other’s eyes just before...

Mrs. Penny Carlisle hit her husband Jacob before colliding with a tree, killing them both in the process.