Members of a Villas family who were injured in a crash in Maurice River Township Oct. 30 were bringing home from the hospital a relative who had been hurt in a car accident the day before.
Mark Shepherd, father of Alex-Andre Shepherd, 37, of Villas, said his daughter was injured in an accident that occurred around 5 p.m. Oct. 29 in Washington Township. Shepherd said she spent hours in the emergency room being treated and then was waiting for a ride home from her aunt and uncle, Jennifer and Joe Lowry of Villas. She suffered leg injuries in the Oct. 29 accident, but further details were not available.
Shepherd said his daughter was released from the hospital at about 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 30, and at 3:27 a.m., as she was being taken home, the Lowrys’ 2013 Volvo XC6 was struck from behind by a 2007 Subaru Legacy on Route 347 in Maurice River.
According to a State Police preliminary accident report, the Subaru, driven by Joseph E. Orozco, 21, of Rio Grande, went off the left side of the road after the collision, coming to a stop in a wooded area. The Lowry vehicle went off the right side of the road and struck a tree.
The preliminary accident report, obtained by the Shepherd family and provided to the Herald, said, “Driver Orozco was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol.” State Police could not confirm the report, saying the accident was still under investigation.
Orozco and two passengers in the Subaru were reported as not being injured. Both cars were disabled and removed from the scene.
Shepherd said his daughter was riding in the front seat due to her leg’s being immobilized from the first accident, and she and her uncle took the brunt of the impact. All five family members who were in the car – Alex-Andre Shepherd, her two daughters, Aubree and Everleigh, who were riding in the back seat, and the Lowrys were taken to Cooper University Hospital-Camden with injuries.
Shepherd said that as of Friday, Nov. 8, his daughter had five surgeries to address specific injuries. He said she was able to communicate with doctors.
Her daughters, Shepherd said, were home with him when he spoke to the Herald on Monday. Other family members were staying in a motel near the hospital to remain with Joe Lowry and Alex-Andre Shepherd.
Shepherd said on Monday, Nov. 11, that Joe Lowry had had several surgeries and had recovered to the extent he was taken off a ventilator. A GoFundMe page update on Nov. 9 said Jennifer Lowry had been discharged but was still recovering from her injuries.
The State Police accident report says a search warrant was obtained for a sample of Orozco’s blood for toxicological analysis, the results of which are apparently still pending and apparently part of the reason for the State Police’s not commenting.
The accident report lists summonses issued for operating a motor vehicle under the influence and possession of an open container in a motor vehicle. The narrative of the police report also lists “additional citations” for reckless driving.
Shepherd said Joe Lowry and his daughter are expected to recover from their injuries.
“We are lucky all they are all alive and none of them were maimed,” he said.
He said his daughter had an injury to her heel that would not allow her to bear weight for two months. In addition, he said, she is not able to use crutches due to shoulder and wrist injuries.
Shepherd said she has been a hard one to hold down, saying she has worked as a server at the Elks Club in North Wildwood. She also made T-shirts and promotional items and worked for an events group and for a service that picks up customers’ groceries and laundry.
“My joke to my friends has been that she has been my cheapest kid,” he said. “Ever since high school she has had it figured out.”
The GoFundMe page for the Lowrys is https://gofund.me/e8ca1812. The page set up for Alex-Andre Shepherd is https://55bc5c2a.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
