Published : Wednesday, 02 May 2012, 9:27 PM EDT
Gloria Gomez
FOX 13 News
TAMPA - Ashley Quackenbush had just celebrated her daughter's third birthday when she got the worst possible news: her husband David Quackenbush had been killed in a horrible car crash.
"His brain was severely injured. He held on, though. He continued to breath until the next day," Ashley said.
According to Florida Highway Patrol officials, the night of April 3rd, David was riding his motorcycle on U.S. 41 in Palmetto. Investigators say driver Jesse Lamar Kates was driving the wrong way on Highway 41 when he collided head on with David.
Kates was ticketed for careless driving and a day after crash.
On Wednesday, investigators asked a judge to drop the careless driving charges, so they could continue to investigate the crash, explained Lt. Chris Miller.
"The investigator will interview all witnesses, look at the physical evidence and try to piece together exactly how this crash occurred, and why this crash occurred," Lt. Miller said.
And there may be new details to look into. FOX 13 has learned Kates is diabetic and may have gone into shock when the accident occurred.
Kates, who did not want to go on camera, said he doesn't remember much about the accident. He said he takes daily insulin for his diabetes, but checked his blood sugar level before he drove that night and his levels were normal.
But Ashley questions why he was driving in the first place.
"There's many people driving who have medical conditions that at any moment can go into blackouts, shock, something. And it's scary, because not only are they threatening someone else's life, but their own," Quackenbush said.
While investigators won't comment on the diabetic shock claim, they say every detail will be checked out.
So for Ashley, she is now a single mom trying to keep her family together while seeking justice for her husband.
"I don't want to have him go to prison, because I know he didn't mean to. I don't think he should drive until he understands his condition and can control it," Quackenbush said.
"His brain was severely injured. He held on, though. He continued to breath until the next day," Ashley said.
According to Florida Highway Patrol officials, the night of April 3rd, David was riding his motorcycle on U.S. 41 in Palmetto. Investigators say driver Jesse Lamar Kates was driving the wrong way on Highway 41 when he collided head on with David.
Kates was ticketed for careless driving and a day after crash.
On Wednesday, investigators asked a judge to drop the careless driving charges, so they could continue to investigate the crash, explained Lt. Chris Miller.
"The investigator will interview all witnesses, look at the physical evidence and try to piece together exactly how this crash occurred, and why this crash occurred," Lt. Miller said.
And there may be new details to look into. FOX 13 has learned Kates is diabetic and may have gone into shock when the accident occurred.
Kates, who did not want to go on camera, said he doesn't remember much about the accident. He said he takes daily insulin for his diabetes, but checked his blood sugar level before he drove that night and his levels were normal.
But Ashley questions why he was driving in the first place.
"There's many people driving who have medical conditions that at any moment can go into blackouts, shock, something. And it's scary, because not only are they threatening someone else's life, but their own," Quackenbush said.
While investigators won't comment on the diabetic shock claim, they say every detail will be checked out.
So for Ashley, she is now a single mom trying to keep her family together while seeking justice for her husband.
"I don't want to have him go to prison, because I know he didn't mean to. I don't think he should drive until he understands his condition and can control it," Quackenbush said.
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