One of the two women pulled from a burning SUV last week on I-10 is back home in Slidell recovering from minor injuries.
Felicidad Demonte, or “Feli” as her family calls her, is mentally and physically handicapped due to an accident in 1993. Her sister Giovanna, or Gina, serves as her caregiver, and was driving the SUV that day.
Gina is still in the hospital. She suffered head injuries in the accident, but is stable, and her condition is improving.
“She’s doing a little bit better. It’s a slow process. She doesn’t remember from one minute to the next,” said Gina and Feli’s mother, Mary Fields.
The two women were headed east on I-10 last week when Gina’s SUV went off the right side of the road. She overcorrected and ran into a pine tree, causing the SUV to burst into flames. The women were trapped inside, but managed to get out thanks to 15 to 20 passing motorists who stopped and pulled them from the flames.
“I thank everyone of them for that. And it’s only the by the grace of God that they were there at that time,” said their father, Warren Fields.
“I’m thankful for them helping my mom because most people don’t stop they keep on going,” said Gina’s son, Chris Moore.
It’s been an emotional time for the whole family.
“I was just in shock, I didn’t know what to think,” said Moore.
“If you didn’t know what kind of car Gina drove, if you went up there and saw that vehicle today, you wouldn’t recognize it. It’s tore up that bad,” said Warren Fields. “It’s only by the grace of God they’re still alive.”
The family is forever grateful to the good Samaritans who saved their loved ones’ lives, and they appreciate the little things even more.
“See how Gina was always laughing,” Mary Fields.
It’s a smile they will continue to cherish thanks to the selfless acts of others.
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