Longtime cheer coach of teen killed in Dixie Highway crash: 'She lit up the room'
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Updated: 6:33 PM EST Mar 2, 2021
Alex Suckow
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Updated: 6:33 PM EST Mar 2, 2021
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TO HELP THE FAMILY. GLADYS: DIXIE HIGHWAY LOOKS VE DIFFERENT RIGHT NOW THAN IT DID YESTERDAY, WHEN A DRIVER HEADING THE WRONG WAY RAN HEAD-ON INTO THE CAR 17-YEAR-OLD MADELYNN TROUTT WAS DRIVING. >> I KIND OF WISH IT WAS ME, NOT HER. SHE WAS ONLY 17. GLADYS: MOTHER OF FOR JOANNE HUMPHREY SAYS NOTHING COULD HAVE PREPARED HER FOR WHAT SHE SAW MONDAY EVENING AS SHE WAS LEAVING WORK AT AUTO ZONE ON DIXIE HIGHWAY. >> A TRUCK WENT FLYING BY AND HIT THE CAR WENT OVER INTO THE , NEXT LANE AND HIT HER HEAD ON. SO I IMMEDIATELY BACKED UP AND GOT OUT AND RAN OVER THERE. IT LOOKED LIKE THE ENGINE WAS ALMOST IN HER LAP GLADYS: 17-YEAR-OLD MEDLEN SHOP WAS IN THE CAR. HUMPHREY SAYS WHAT SHE SAW NEXT WERE DESPERATE ATTEMPTS TO SAVE THE TEEN’S LIFE. >> A GOOD 30 OR 40 PEOPLE RAN TO THE SCENE. THEY WERE TRYING TO GET THE DOOR OPEN SO THEY COULD GET TO HE , AND THEN IN US ACROSS THE STREET RAN OVER AND CENTER DOING CPR ON HER. GLADYS: TROUTT LATER DIED AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. POLICE SAY 28-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL DEWITT WAS DRUNK AND DRIVING THE WRONG WAY WHEN HE HIT TROUTT AFTER THE CRASH, HUMPHREY SAYS THE GOOD SAMARITANS ON THE SEE STOP HIM FROM GETTING AWAY. >> HE JUMPED OUT AND TOOK OFF RUNNING, AND EVERYBODY WAS LIKE, OH, HE IS GETTING AWAY. I KNOW PEOPLE TACKLED HIM DOWN THE STREET. THEY WENT AFTER HIM. GLADYS: DEWITT IS FACING CHARGES OF DUI AND MURDER. MEANWHILE THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ARE LEFT TO MOURN A LIFE GONE TOO SOON. MADELYNN’S LONG-TIME CHEERLEADING COACH JOSHUA DUNCAN SHARED THESE PHOTOS WITH ME SAYING SHE ALWAYS HAD A BRIGHT SMILE ON HER FACE AND LIT UP THE ROOM WHEREVER SHE WENT. HE ADDED, "I AM STILL IN SHOCK. IT DOESN’T FEEL REAL." DEWITT IS BEING HELD ON A $500,000 DOLLAR FULL CASH BOND. IN PLEASURE RIDGE PARK, GLADYS BAUTISTA, WLKY N