Driver tells 911 dispatcher of crash that killed Fort Lauderdale firefighter

Oct. 03--Hysterical and screaming, the woman was begging for help before the 911 dispatcher even finished asking about the emergency.

"I need an ambulance ASAP, please; I need [the] police," Lorenza Simmons cried. "I had a bad accident and my car got off the road and it hit a man. Please!"

She was on the side of Interstate 95 standing over a breathing but unresponsive Kevin Johns, who had been changing a tire when she struck him. For six minutes, 48-year-old Simmons sobbed and begged dispatchers to hurry as they tried to calm her down.

A recording of her call was released by authorities Thursday, two days after the accident that led to Johns' death. A 29-year veteran of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, the Jupiter man was headed in for duty when Simmons' car hit him just after 7 a.m. Tuesday on the shoulder of the southbound lanes, near Yamato Road.

Johns, 48, died six hours later at Delray Medical Center. He left behind a wife, three kids and one grandchild.

On the recording, Simmons said she veered off the road after a car in front of her slowed down "out of nowhere." She said she swerved to avoid Johns' car and didn't see him. She said he came out from the side of his car suddenly and was thrown onto her windshield.

"Oh my gosh, I need somebody here," Simmons said between sobs. "Please, take care of this man!"

Other people began pulling over and asking what happened. Several drivers called 911 to report what they saw of the accident.

One man said he saw Johns standing on the side of the road working on his car when traffic got backed up and a driver "panicked," slammed on the brakes and hit him.

"I think this person may be really, really, really hurt," he said.

Simmons tried speaking to Johns, asking if he could hear her, but told dispatchers he wasn't responding. He was bleeding, but still breathing.

"I can't believe I hit this man," Simmons cried toward the end of the recording, just before first responders arrived.

No charges have been filed in the crash, which remains under investigation.

Simmons couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.

Funeral services for Johns will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at The Sanctuary Church, 1400 N. Federal Highway, in Fort Lauderdale, officials said.

The family asks that, instead of flowers, donations be made to the Kevin Johns Memorial Scholarship Fund, which has been established to assist in the college education of Johns' two sons. Contributions can be made to any PNC branch location nationwide.

bshammas@tribune.com, 561-243-6531 or Twitter @britsham

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