Contra Costa County

On August 16, a family’s way of life forever changed in an instant as Richard Fletcher of Antioch was the victim of a hit and run motorcycle crash that left him paralyzed from the waist down.  He remains in the hospital where his spinal cord was severed and he has many broken vertebrae and ribs along with road rash.

Fletcher was purposely hit by Concord resident David Alcairo who was shot about 40-minutes after the incident by California Highway Patrol. He likely will be facing attempted murder charges, felony hit and run and mayhem when he recovers.

The family is now asking the community to help during their road to recovery as they attempt to adjust to life after the incident. So far, just over $11,000 has been raised.

According to the children, Richard Fletcher was the sole provider for the family and they have blown through their savings just transporting themselves to and from the hospital while purchasing food.  Two of the three children are in college with one still in high school. All are looking for work to help make a dent in the everyday expenses.

The family is also looking for the gentleman that pulled over and kept their dad calm during this incident.

“It would mean the world to us to be able to thank the man that is responsible for keeping my dad calm and essentially alive. In all the chaos at the horrific scene of the accident he helped my dad stay strong and he motivated him to live,” said Rachel Fletcher.

We had a chance to speak with Fletchers children via email where Rachel Fletcher and her two other siblings Alexandra Fletcher and Jake Fletcher answered the following questions together.

Here is the Q&A which includes the full answers provided. After reading this, we hope you would consider making a small donation to assist the family.

How has this changed your family at this point in time?  What changes are soon going to have to be made at home because of the incident?
As a family we haven’t even begun to think about all the ways this is going to change our lives. We are trying to take each day at a time, and I can say that this tragic event has made our family a stronger unit, and has made us realize how thankful we are for each other and also shown us how precious life really is.

When my dad is finally able to come home we will need to have made some serious adjustments. We live in a tri-level home with a lot of stairs, so we will most likely have to rearrange the location of his bedroom and install ramps throughout the house so that he can navigate. He is going to need 24 hour care because he has no feeling below his belly button and is unable to complete even the simplest of tasks.

As for our way of life, our entire family rides dirt bikes and street bikes, we also love camping and adventurous activities so unfortunately this lifestyle is going to have to be put aside.

Is there any timetable when your dad will be released from the hospital? Any update of his condition?
At this point we have no idea when he will be released from the hospital, but we do know that when he is released he will be transported directly to a rehabilitation facility where he will regain strength and learn to live this new life.

He is still in critical condition; although his surgery to realign his spine was successful there are many other obstacles we are facing. Mentally he is coherent and aware of the situation, but due to his broken ribs, broken back, severe road rash and hypersensitivity in his upper extremities he is in uncontrollable pain.

What has the media attention been like around the incident?
So far the media has been very respectful of our situation and has done a great job covering our story.

At first, the media was focused primarily on the shooting that occurred after the hit and run, but we want to steer the attention more toward our life altering situation and focus more on helping us to heal from this tragedy.

I am thankful we are able to spread the word about the crash and so thankful for all of the support our story has brought in. We hope this also makes other drivers more aware of motorcycles and other riders more aware of the dangers of being on two-wheels.

Is there any person, people, or group who stands out for helping who maybe have gone beyond the call of helping?
As soon as we got into the emergency room my dad lay there broken and paralyzed, yet was aware enough to repeat how sorry he was that this happened. He then began to tell the story of the accident from start to finish, he was amazed at the amount of people who stopped and helped.

We are mesmerized at the fact that although he was slammed into at a high speed, on a four lane freeway, while his bike bounced across the highway , not a single car even came close to hitting him.

On behalf of my dad and my family we send a huge thank you to all of the safe drivers who were aware enough to react to the accident and stopped without hitting him. A huge thank you goes out to the group of people who actually got out of their vehicles in this dangerous situation to aid my dad as he lay there lifeless and alone.

One man in particular stood out to my dad during this time. As he recalls the situation there were people screaming in fear and chaos, one man calmed everyone down and quieted the group. He continuously told my dad he was going to be okay and he was going to survive this. This man kept my dad strong and kept him motivated to live. We cannot thank him enough for what he did, and wish he would come forward so that we can thank him personally.

What can someone learn from this about life can change in an instance?
Though our family has always been strong and always been close, until this accident we seriously took each other for granted. It is horrible that it takes something so tragic to make you realize what is important in life.

I hope that others can learn from our family’s incident so that they do not have to go through a tragedy of their own. Express your love, help those in need, think before you speak, respect others and live life to the fullest because it only takes one phone call to change your entire reality. In times like this, you seem to find how strong you are, and how lucky you are. I encourage everyone to find your strength and become aware of your blessings before you are forced to by a life altering event.

I know there has been a fund created for medical bills, but is there any immediate needs such as gas money, foods, job opportunities? Anything that might help you guys move forward a little bit easier?
I cannot believe how much money has been spent thus far just in order to stay close to my dad. All of us have blown through our entire savings in just a week. From transporting ourselves to the hospital and feeding our family and little necessities here and there, we are going through it. As of now none of us have an income, our father is the sole provider and us children that are old enough to work are between jobs or do not make enough to make a dent in the expenses. Two of us are college students, and the youngest is still in high school, so lack of money is a huge factor right now.

Has there been a single point in time where someone has reached out to you in support and its made a difference?
Every day and every bit of support is making a difference in our lives. From prayers, to encouraging words, to donations, every small action makes us stronger.

I know you are looking for the person who stopped after the accident, what would it mean to your family to meet this person who sat with your dad while he waited for emergency personnel?
It would mean the world to us to be able to thank the man that is responsible for keeping my dad calm and essentially alive. In all the chaos at the horrific scene of the accident he helped my dad stay strong and he motivated him to live.

When my dad was alone, scared, and unable to move this man took control of the scene and gave my dad hope. There is not a thank you big enough for the heroic actions this man showed in a difficult situation.

What would you say has been the most difficult thing your family has had to deal with since the incident? What has been hardest on you?
There is nothing harder in this situation than the lack of control. Since the day of the accident we have had no control, we can’t help him and that is the most frustrating part of it all. It is difficult to imagine what he went through during the crash, it is unimaginable to think of the pain he has been dealing with, it is scary to think about how our lives are going to be changed and we are so sad that we cannot do anything about it. All we can do is stay strong for our parents and stay united as a family. We hope that our strength will make this easier on our dad. Every aspect of this incident is difficult; there will not be an easy time for days to come.

Has anyone reached out to your family that may have surprised you a bit—like someone who you would never expect?
We have had so many people reach out to us it is amazing. Family, friends, foes, loved ones, and complete strangers  all making an effort to strengthen our family at this time. It is so eye opening to realize how many beautiful souls there are in this disastrous world.

What was your initial reaction upon hearing the news and going to the hospital? Has it eased at all since the incident?
At first, by the way the hospital made it sound; we feared he wouldn’t survive the accident. The entire way to the hospital we all had these horrible thoughts bouncing around our chaotic minds. We did not know the severity, all we knew is he was in critical condition and we needed to be at the hospital NOW.

Once we got to the emergency room and realized he was alive and coherent, a sense of relief fell over us all. Suddenly, the use of his legs did not seem so important. We have our dad, whether he runs, walks, rolls, wheels, or crawls into the room makes no difference, my dad is alive and we are going to help him through this.

Is there a “why him?” question going through your head and how does one get past that?
Of course, “why him” are the most repetitive words running through our minds. Sometimes we find ourselves dwelling on this, and trying to wrap our minds around why someone would do this to him, why our dad, who is such a huge and active part of our lives, is having to face this struggle and why we can’t do anything to make it better.

If we let our mind get the best of ourselves, it will eat us up and will take over the strength we have. When we start to get depressed and angry we have to remind ourselves of all there is to be thankful for.

We remind ourselves of all the times our dad was able to avoid an accident and come home to us. We think of all the times our dad was able to run and play and ride motorcycles with us. Above all we are blessed to have him not only alive, but mentally coherent and aware. Our dad is our dad, and he is going to be here to watch us grow and continue to help us through life, that is something we are beyond blessed to say.

Is there any misconceptions that have occurred in the past week that maybe you want to correct that maybe the media did not get right?
We just want to make sure that the public knows that our father is an ordinary family man, not a criminal or someone who deserved this. He is a dedicated husband who started dating our mother at only 14 years old. He is an involved father who always coached our softball teams, trained us during wrestling season, spent his time off at the track teaching us the skill of motorcycle riding, and has always been our number one fan cheering us on in everything we have ever done.

He is a hard worker, working overtime out of town just so our bills were paid and we were able to participate in everything we desired to do. He is an adrenaline junkie who has always lived life on the edge from motorcycle racing, to car racing, to boat racing he does it all. Most of all, he is a fighter. Our dad is the strongest Man I know. He grew up with nothing and made it possible for us all to have all the things he never could. He has tackled obstacles with ease and somehow always manages to overcome difficulties stronger than before.

If anyone can get through this, it is him.

What do you have to say of those who may get road rage?
It happens to all of us. Everyone is in a hurry, everyone makes stupid mistakes, and everyone gets frustrated with others on the road. All I can say is it isn’t worth it. It isn’t worth ruining yours or another life. Save lives instead of minutes, swallow your pride and focus on getting home instead of getting even. Nothing good comes out of road rage.

Is there anything you want to make the community aware of regarding your dad or maybe that has not been shared that you wish may get out to the public?
Our family is need of serious financial help, sharing his recovery fund with friends and family and donating even the smallest amount will be a great help. Richfletcherrecovery.com we thank all who have given their support, and all who continue to share my families story.

To Donate:
Richfletcherrecovery.com

So far, friends, family and the community have been amazing in raising $11,305 for the family.