It all started on July 17, this year. My father, my little brother, --, and I would go north to Payson and visit my dad’s best friend Mark, they are like brothers. We went to Mark’s one weekend on a hot summer day to get out of the heat and have some fun. Every time we went up to see Mark and his daughter Devin we would bring my dad’s huge black lifted four door jeep Wrangler and go four-wheeling.
That night at 12:30 in the morning with the top off of the jeep and a cooler full of beer we headed out four-wheeling. My dad, Monte, who is 11, --, my dad’s girlfriend, Brooke, Mark’s girlfriend, Jeff, who was a friend of Marks, Devin, who was 14, and finally me. The vehicle was meant for only 5 people but we had 8. Devin, Monte and I sat in the storage area with the cooler. -—, Brooke and Jeff were in the back seat. My dad and Mark were in the front and they were the only ones wearing seatbelts.
We were on Doll-Baby trail, a dirt road, and it had rained earlier in the day so the road was soft. We branched off every once in a while to do a bit of rock climbing and eventually we were getting tired out, so we headed back. I was half asleep, until we took that left turn and we slipped off the road. All I remember of the roll was a loud crunching sound and me closing my eyes until all was silent. I laid in silence for a solid 5 seconds but it seemed like an hour.
“——-, Kamen!” I heard my dad’s voice desperately break the silence.
“I’m okay dad!” I assured him.
“Dad!” I heard my little brother call out.
“Devin!” I heard Mark yell out with no response.
I was on something and it was very uncomfortable so I decided to get up and saw the Jeep to my right about 5 feet away from me. Then I looked down to see what I was on and there I saw a leg, that leg was Devin’s. I could tell because of the sparkly boots she decided to wear. I traced my way up her jeans all of the way to her face I saw she had her eyes open and blood coming from her head that had ran down on her forehead and the bridge of her nose. I remember her hair matted with blood and the leaves on the ground were soaked with the crimson liquid of death.
“ Sh-She is over here.” I stuttered. As I climbed on the jeep to find the green flashlight that was back there.
“Oh my god! She is dead! My baby is dead!” I heard Mark yell as he got on his knees.
That is when everyone started crying and screaming, well everyone other than me. I was very calm and was focused on helping us get out of this situation. I retrieved the flash light and shined it on Devin where they were attempting CPR and my little brother followed me up. I saw a gash on his head but I knew he would be okay so I told him to sit down, take his shirt off and keep pressure on it. I held the flash light until my dad left up the hill to get cell phone service and I had Monte hold it. I jumped off of the jeep and saw Jeff on the hill in a fetal position so I checked his pulse after Angonette did and thought there was one. But he too was dead. I hurried up the hill and dodged a cactus and realized I had lost a shoe. When I reached the top of the hill to the road I didn’t see my dad. I yelled his name and he ran down the hill a bit into view. That is when I saw the light.
“There, I see a light.” I said with hope in my voice. “We can run there.”
We ran to the light and there was a gate with a house in the distance. We jumped the gate and ran to the house where we slammed on the door with no answer. Getting desperate we tried the door and it opened. We searched rapidly for a home phone and found none. I found an old cell phone in a drawer with low battery and no service. My dad ran out of the house and I heard a horn blare. I bolted out of the house to find my dad in the brand new Dodge Caliber that was parked out front, I got in. We drove to the gate and hit the fence next to it bringing it to the ground. We drove up the hill until we got cell phone service were we contacted authorities and waited for them to come. We led them to the crash site. When we got there and got out of the car they arrested us for stealing the car but we were released five minutes after. My little brother was air evacuated because he had a head injury. All I had was a scratch on my arm. I left in a squad car with my dad about 3 hours later where he was arrested and I wasn’t returned to my mom until 10 in the morning.
I now only have a scar on my arm to remember it by and my dad is currently going through court trials to see if he is guilty. I see him every once in a while and he always seems more restless than the last time I saw him. I sincerely miss Devin and wish all of this never happened.
R.I.P. Devin Frantzke, I will always miss you.
