Sadie Haynes, 15, was in a Fleming Island crosswalk last week when a 68-year-old driver plowed into her petite frame, leaving her crumpled and unconscious on the asphalt.
Her father, Kevin Haynes, happened to be driving home on Monday, April 30, just before 8 p.m., when police cruisers suddenly screamed past him.
A tinge of concern washed over him, and he called Sadie’s phone to put his mind at ease. But there was no answer.
He then dialed his wife — Sadie’s stepmother — to see if she had come home. But the teen hadn’t walked through the door.
Using Find My iPhone, Kevin saw that his daughter’s last location was near the cluster of emergency vehicles at the intersection of Eagle Harbor Parkway and Town Center Boulevard, a spot near the family’s home known for frequent accidents.
His chest began to quake.
“I thought, Oh my God, this is becoming my worst nightmare,” he said. “That’s when I drove to the scene and saw what was happening. I asked a cop if it was a child, and he said, yes. I asked if it was my daughter, Sadie. He looked right at me and said, ‘It’s your daughter.'”
Trauma Unit: ‘I didn’t know if she was brain dead’
Kevin and. his wife, Cody Haynes, met his daughter at a trauma unit at HCA Orange Park Hospital. Sadie’s mother, Nancy Bonilla Haynes, soon joined them.
“She was all wrapped up,” Kevin recalled. “I just held her hand. Dad mode kicks in to be strong for your child and to try to make sure she hears your voice. If she can. At that point, I didn’t know if she was brain dead.”
Sadie suffered a traumatic brain injury, a brain bleed, a kidney laceration and multiple broken bones, including her nose, skull, hip, tibia, fibula, pelvis, eye socket and cheek. Doctors had to put a metal rod in her right leg.
But nearly a week after she was hit, there are glimmers of hope. Kevin said she can now recognize voices and respond to simple commands.
“I can soothe her with my voice,” he said. “I can see her follow me with her eyes.”
On Tuesday, physical therapists at the hospital sat Sadie up to help clear out her lungs, and her mother was able to hug her. “I got to hold my baby girl for the first time since the accident,” she said. “She’s a fighter.”
An Uncertain Future
While doctors said Sadie will likely be able to walk and perhaps run after a lengthy rehabilitation, Kevin said he fears that she will be forced to abandon her lifelong passion for dance. Saide practices her beloved craft four nights a week at the Wehner School of the Arts.
“My biggest fear is her not being able to do things,” he said. “Is she going to be able to drive? To go to college? I don’t know the level of the brain injury so I have no idea what’s coming out of this.”
Sadie, he said, has always been a vibrant spirit with a love for Disney movies and a close bond with her dad. “She’s a daddy’s girl,” he said. “She’s always been my little partner.” He recalled fondly her love of the characters Boo in Monsters Inc. and Marie from The Aristocats.
In the short term, Kevin feels helpless when he’s with Sadie, sensing her suffering but unsure how to ease it.
“What really breaks my heart more than anything is I can see her struggling in her head,” he said before breaking down in tears. “I just don’t know what’s happening inside there so I’m afraid for her and the fear she has not knowing what’s happening when she wakes up with all these strangers and lights blinking. I can only imagine how scary that is for her.”
There are two GoFundMe campaigns: one to help cover living expenses for Nancy, who is unable to work as a hairdresser while she cares for her daughter, and another to support Sadie’s mounting medical costs.
Crosswalk Crusaders
More than a decade ago, when Sadie was about 4, Kevin said he enlisted her in some local activism while living in the Five Points section of Jacksonville.
Frustrated by a lack of crosswalks in their neighborhood and several near accidents involving kids, he organized an effort to address the issue.
“Sadie and I called ourselves the Crosswalk Crusaders because back then there weren’t crosswalks,” he told The Citizen. “We would write letters to the city and ask for crosswalks. She became an advocate for crosswalk safety. That’s the tragic irony of this whole thing.”
He is especially angry that the intersection, a known danger zone, doesn’t have a pedestrian walk signal.
The accident occurred on a stretch of road that has nine crosswalks—two serving an elementary school—but only one has a pedestrian walk signal, he added. He wants the county to fix this.
For now, the family is holding vigil at Sadie’s bedside, praying for her to be given a chance at a normal life.
“I want to see her dance again,” Kevin said. “I really want her to be able to do everything she wanted to do in life. But we just don’t know.”
4 Responses
Praying for Sadie’s complete recovery! May God Bless her and your family 🙏🏼
To those of you making assumptions as to her diligence, it was confirmed she did everything correctly. She was NOT on her phone. She waited as she should to cross. There was NO blind spot. But making assumptions about a responsible 15 year old child, is cruel. She is one of the most responsible kids I have ever known. How about just send prayers and well wishes.
Praying so hard and often for Sadie and her family. I have only met Sadie a couple of times and was impressed with her manners enthusiasm and kindness. She is one o my Granddaughter’s best friend. Fight Sadie!! We know you are. A strong young lady Anything I can do to Help Sadie and her family,I will be glad to do . So excited to see some improvements. Keep it up Sadie. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Praying for Sadie and her Family. My heart and prayers go out to you. 🙏🪽 Angels all around her.