SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla — A local couple is left with unexpected injuries during the happiest time of the year, but helmets gave them both the gift of life.
The motorcycle crash on Christmas Eve happened on 66th Street North and 18th Avenue North by the Tyrone Mall in St. Petersburg.
Family says an SUV hit the motorcycle Joe Friend and his girlfriend Lyn Kirkland were on, sending them flying. In a story you'll only see on 10 Tampa Bay, Angelina Salcedo spoke to Joe's family who say they're recovering.
"He is thankful to be alive and you know that it wasn't worse," Jennifer Griffiths, Joe's sister said.
When the call came into police things didn't sound good. Dispatchers can be heard asking for a trauma alert for Joe. That's when the dreaded phone call to family happened.
"It kind of put our whole Christmas Eve on pause because it was like, 'Well, how is he?,'" Maliya Griffiths said.
Maliya is Joe's niece. Despite being miles away for the holidays, she and her mom jumped into action creating a GoFundMe for Joe and Lyn while family in St. Pete went to the hospital.
"He was so worried about his girlfriend Lyn. He's grateful that she's alive," Jennifer said.
The northbound lanes at the intersection closed for hours after family says an SUV attempted a U-turn but didn't have enough space, forcing the driver to reverse before fully making the turn and driving forward. The motorcycle was hit when the SUV reversed into it.
"My brother just didn't have time to react and just went flying. The vehicle was trying to reverse really quick because it's reversing in the middle of a busy intersection," Jennifer said.
The 50-year-old has a broken femur, knee, elbow, wrist, ribs and facial rash. He and his girlfriend just underwent surgery on Tuesday.
"She broke her nose and her shin bone. It was sticking out of the body," Jennifer said.
Many emotions for a family now trying to process what happened suddenly and unexpectedly on Christmas Eve.
"This really just emphasizes the importance of wearing your safety gear because they did. Not only is it forever going to be Christmas Eve, it's also going to be like, the day that my Uncle Joe almost died in a motorcycle accident. It's the same for that guy or girl who's always going to remember it from their perspective," Maliya said.
The family doesn't fault whoever did this but do say there's a lesson for drivers to take away.
"They are always in a hurry to get somewhere. Those extra three minutes it takes you to get somewhere you know, could be a matter in this situation of you know, really hurting or killing somebody, so just be careful out there," Jennifer said.
Joe and Lyn's families still don't know when they'll be discharged or what their future holds. Both are small business owners in Pinellas Park and will be out of work for a while following the crash. All the proceeds from the fundraiser for them will go directly to the couple. If you'd like to help you can here.