Carl McDermott is lucky to be alive.
The high school senior was in the front seat of a Marine recruiter vehicle Wednesday afternoon when it was struck from behind by a tractor truck. Three other recruits in the back seat were killed.
The four recruits never saw the truck coming.
"We had to stop and turn around because one of the boys left his papers at the office," McDermott said from his hospital bed in Cleveland. "We got back in the car, put on our seatbelts, and we started singing again to some girlie song, and that is the last I remember."
McDermott, a senior at Victory Christian School, said he was sitting in the front seat of the car stopped at a light on State Route 5. He and recruiter, Sgt. Charles Keene, survived. The three in the backseat, Michael Theodore, Joshua Sherbourne and Zach Nolen, died.
"Honestly, I didn't hear anything," McDermott said. "I don't remember hearing anything, seeing anything or feeling anything. It was just like it happened, and I don't remember anything about it."
McDermott has two broken bones in his neck. He is hoping to return to his Masury home in the next few days and spend time with his girlfriend. He is not sure if he will still join the Marines.
"I am just going to pray and find out what God wants me to do," McDermott said.
Meanwhile, friends and family members created a makeshift memorial at the scene of the crash on State Route 5 in Warren Township, while troopers continue to investigate.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol did an inspection of the truck and said the brakes seemed to be working fine. They don't believe there was any type of mechanical malfunction.
Lt. Joe Dragovich, Warren OSP post commander, said they do anticipate filing some sort of charges once the report is complete.
