FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Joshua Wright doesn’t remember much about the crash that sent a Franklin County family to the hospital Tuesday night. From his hospital bed on Friday, Wright talked to 10 News about what happened that tragic evening when he was behind the wheel.
“I was mowing the yard. I got done mowing at my dad’s and so I decided to go to Dollar General and get some snacks,” said Wright. “My mentor, he called me and I put him on the phone. And we were talking and I said, you know, I’m going to have to pull over, I’m getting a little lightheaded.”
Wright said he felt a pain under his left rib cage, but attributed it to a kidney stone. Wright said at that point he had trouble with his vision.
“And then I got this foul odor like fingernail polish remover in my nose. So I told him I needed to get off the phone. I’d hate to guess, but it was seconds and I was out,” said Wright.
Wright said his phone log shows he made a call to 911 for his medical emergency at 8:48 p.m., three minutes before the crash.
When Wright regained consciousness, he said he turned around and saw that the car had gone through the house.
”I heard screaming. I originally went the wrong way, then I crawled up around the house. I heard the man saying ‘Where’s the baby?’” recalled Wright. “Hearing those babies’ screams, I’m never gonna get that sound out of my head. It’s the most horrible thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
“I’m just bruised up. That’s what hurts the most,” said Wright.
Doctors said Wright had a seizure.
“With the smell in my nose and everything, they’ve come to the conclusion that it was epilepsy. And they’ve started me on a few medications which have helped.”
Wright provided 10 News with medical records confirming he had a seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy.
Virginia State Police are still investigating the crash. VSP’s Public Information Officer Sgt. Rick Garletts confirmed that Wright was on the phone with someone complaining about his medical issue before the crash, but Garletts has ‘no knowledge if he was on the phone at the time of the crash.’
Troopers are working to confirm if the cause of the crash was a medical emergency and how fast the car was traveling. Investigators say Wright’s driver’s license was suspended at the time of the crash. However, Wright says he didn’t know until police came to see him at the hospital after the crash.
“I still to this point don’t know the reason why,” said Wright. “I’m thinking it’s for an unpaid traffic ticket.”
Wright provided 10 News with a copy of a DMV notice informing him that his license is suspended. It was signed by Wright and a state trooper on Wednesday, April 24—the morning after the crash.
“I’m sorry that this has happened. It’s just something I couldn’t control. It’s not like I could have pulled over any sooner,” said Wright. “I’m beating myself up, but at my heart I know there was nothing I could do.”
Court records show several charges against Wright over the years, including driving offenses. 10 News asked him about his past.
“I lost my brother to addiction and I’ve been clean for 3 years on drugs, 2.5 [years] on alcohol,” said Wright. “All my records in the past has been [due to] drinking. It’s all stuff like, just immature stuff. Just young and dumb.”
Wright says he is fully insured and hopes the family can make a claim to recoup money for the damages. Devastated, Wright is only asking for prayers and support for the family.
“I just want them to know that our prayers and thoughts are with them and whatever they need we’re there for them,” said Wright.
10 News spoke with Thomas Dean over the phone, who lived at the home. He said he is in a daze knowing he almost lost his family.
A GoFundMe has been created for Dean’s family. The Boones Mill Elementary School PTO also created a fundraiser to assist the Dean family since they lost everything in the crash.
“I just want this family to get the help they need. I would like to ask them one day for forgiveness, if they’re able,” said Wright. “It’s just something that’s going to take awhile to forgive myself.”