Sawgrass crash victim identified

The driver of the vehicle that crashed into a pond in the 1200 block of Salt Creek Island Drive in Ponte Vedra Beach late Sunday evening has been identified to local Historic City News reporters.

The 72-year-old driver, who lives nearby the crash site with her daughter and her daughter’s husband, was identified by St Johns County Traffic Homicide Detectives as Dorothy Anne McCreery.

The driver crashed into a drainage canal which runs along the golf course in the area. She called 911 and reported that she was unable to get out of her car while water was filling up inside. McCreery was the only occupant of the vehicle and she managed to get a call out to her daughter as she struggled to escape.

By the time emergency personnel located the vehicle, three divers found the victim submerged in 4 1/2 feet of water. She was still inside, however, she was reported to be “unresponsive”.

After administering CPR, McCreery reportedly regained a pulse; so Fire-Rescue personnel began advanced life saving measures before transporting her. She died soon after her arrival at Beaches Baptist Hospital.

The victim’s son-in-law and daughter, Doug and Rhonda Goodall, contact the Sheriffs’ Office with the following request:

Thank you for your very thoughtful comments to us regarding the final minutes of conversation with my wife’s mother, Dorothy McCreery, during the tragic 9-1-1 call Sunday night.

Our entire family is devastated, and Rhonda has lost the most treasured person in her life. Just minutes before the 911 call, Rhonda was on the phone with Dot, and expecting her home in a few minutes.

I realize and respect that State laws require the release to news media any 9-1-1 recording. I can only ask that you pass this letter onto to them along with the actual recording.

This letter is a plea for consideration of the heartbreak and sorrow of a family that is still trying to deal with the tragic loss of a mother and grandmother.

The situation that Dot was in that night was terrible, and to hear her words seeking help will bring no value nor substantive news to the viewing public while it most definitely will bring increased grief to the family.

I ask all the news media to demonstrate compassion and integrity in not playing this 911 conversation on the air. I thank them all in advance for giving us this small consideration.

Although others have it available and may, Historic City News declined a copy of the 9-1-1 recording, and we will not link to it on our local news website.