A3 + PLUS >> Source of mounting autopsy costs elusive, Story below SCHOOLS CHS GIRLS HOOPS Homemade District totems at CCE opener See Page 5A See Page 1B WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM FATAL CRASH Garbage Charges fighting filed in for his truck hit death of by car; child, 8 life Car in which Lake City worker boy was riding was rear-ended in Live Oak. By CARL MCKINNEY [email protected] killed Julian M. Udell, 34, was A DUI manslaughter pinned behind hauler charge awaits the driver believed to be responsible while collecting refuse. for the death of an 8-year-old Lake City By TONY BRITT boy in the [email protected] aftermath a two-vehicle A Lake City sanitation truck worker was crash this killed Tuesday morning while collecting trash COREY ARWOOD/Lake City Reporter month that Demarcus Graham, a detention deputy with Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, after a motorist drove into him as he stood at also serious- awaits a kidney transplant with end stage renal failure, and works full time as a the rear of his garbage truck. Dewayne ly injured control room officer between dialysis treatments. Julian M. Udell, 34 of Lake City, was killed an adult in the crash. woman, according to the The driver of the vehicle Florida Highway Patrol. that collided with the rear of Dewayne Keene was pro- Deputy battles kidney disease the trash truck, Kent Sexton, nounced dead at UF Health suffered serious injuries in the Shands in Gainesville on Doctors say he’ll monitoring closed circuit wreck and was taken to an Nov. 20, two days after the need a transplant television. Three times a area hospital for treatment. 2002 Buick Rendezvous he to save his life. week he goes to dialysis for Udell According to a Florida was riding in was struck four-hour sessions. Highway Patrol report, the by a Ford pickup truck in By COREY ARWOOD “It may seem like a lot, wreck occurred at 10:10 a.m. Tuesday on Suwannee County, according [email protected] but it’s not a lot of hours,” County Road 250 (Lake Jeffery Road), 50 feet said Graham. to an FHP report. After 13 years battling south of NW Kimble Glen. The Buick’s driver, He said doctors consider Sexton, 38, of Lake City, was driving a 2006 to keep our community patients with 15 percent Samantha Nichols, 37, of Ford Taurus traveling southeast on County streets safe, a Columbia kidney function to be in Lake City, also received treat- County Sheriff’s Office stage five of end stage renal Road 250. ment at UF Health Shands detention deputy is now fac- failure. The Waste Pro truck was stopped in the after suffering serious inju- ing his toughest fight yet. “My kidney function southbound lane of the roadway. ries, the report shows. Demarcus Graham, diag- is seven percent, and I’ll Udell was standing directly behind the A second passenger, nosed with end stage renal need a kidney transplant in truck, but Sexton failed to notice the stopped Jonathan Warner, 14, of Lake disease, is determined not order to be off of dialysis,” truck or Udell standing behind it, the report to let it get the best of him. City, suffered minor injuries Graham said. “That’ll save said. But he won’t be alone in his and was not hospitalized, my life basically.” The front of Sexton’s car struck Udell and fight. He has the backing During an interview according to the report. of his department and help the rear of the garbage truck. FHP disclosed the crash at the Columbia County Sexton was taken to Shands at Lake Shore from the state deputy’s COURTESY Sheriff’s Office Operations Tuesday. Explaining the for treatment. Results of a blood-alcohol test association. In July 2017 Graham Center, Graham was matter nine-day gap, an agency He’ll need it as he waits learned his kidneys were of fact about the disease are pending, reports said. spokesperson said they had for a donor match on a failing and would need a and the diagnosis, and Udell died at the scene, reports said. been waiting on the neces- kidney transplant list esti- transplant. downplayed the difficulties A young man who spent lots of time with his sary information to release mated to range from 93,000 he is facing. ailing mother before she died a few years ago, a report. to 100,000 recipients nation- continues to work full time One unforeseen, seem- Udell was recognized for his caring nature and wide. with CCSO six days a week CHARGES continued on 2A Despite the disease, he as a control room officer, DEPUTY continued on 2A TRUCK continued on 2A Slow going on tracking down source of mounting autopsy costs By CARL MCKINNEY County Attorney Joel Foreman sought “It’ll say ‘detective Smith,’ and you If an autopsy is called for, that usually [email protected] answers in central database records provid- go, ‘who the heck is detective Smith?’” runs around $3,000 each. There’s also ed by the Jacksonville Medical Examiner’s Foreman said. “Or nurse Jones. Who is she transportation expenses and other medical The investigation into a sudden and Office. Instead, he found logs sparse on and where does she work?” examiner fees, including a $175 charge just drastic spike in autopsy-related expenses details that failed to explain who referred State law requires the county to pay for a to call a body in. has hit a hurdle, county officials say — but a body for examination or why a case was medical examination on a body if a doctor not a dead end. handled a certain way. doesn’t sign off on a death certificate. COSTS continued on 2A Vol. 144, No. 173 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Opinion . 4A (386) 752-1293 Obituaries . 5A DEAR PHARMACIST SUBSCRIBE TO Sports . 1B THE REPORTER: 59 29 Why your thyroid still bothers you, 6A. Voice: 755-5445 Advice & Comics . 3B Fax: 752-9400 Mostly sunny, 2A ! iitt ccaarrdd nnooww! Baacckk ccrreedd DDiimmee B rr yyoouurr AAppppllyy ffoo www.SunStateFCU.org All SunState Visa® Credit Cards qualify for our Dime Back program. Just use your SunState Credit Card and 10¢ will be deposited into your checking account with every qualifying purchase.* No signing up, no forms to fill out, nothing to do on your part except use your SunState Visa Credit Card. *Qualifying purchases do not include balance transfers, cash advances (including purchases of items that can be traded right away for cash, such as wire transfers, money orders, traveler’s checks), fees, interest charges, or for unauthorized or fraudulent transactions. ®Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International. 2A WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER from the Hamilton County but it was tragic,” he said very vigilant when approach- TRUCK school system and his fam- of the crash. “This inves- ing our trucks, which are QUICK HITS Continued From 1A ily is from White Springs. tigation is going to go at covered with flashing lights He was not married and least 60-90 days before it’s and signage.” Scripture of the Day his love for life by members had no children. concluded.” Pecora said there have of his family. Lt. Patrick Riordan, FHP The probe will focus on a been other accidents like “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born “He was fun loving and he Troop B public information variety of factors, including this and noted virtually the of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loved his job,” said Nastase officer, said the weather vehicle condition, roadway, same thing happened in loveth him also that is begotten of him.” Udell, Julian’s brother, appeared to be clear when traffic, speed, drugs or alco- Texas to another company, — 1 John 5: 1 (KJV) during a telephone inter- the crash occurred, but the hol, and other contributing also with a fatality, where view Tuesday evening. FHP investigation will look factors such as obstructed somebody ran into the back Thought for Today Julian’s sibling’s com- at all the possible contribut- view or distracted driving. of a garbage truck Tuesday. ments were echoed by ing factors. “The entire Waste Pro “We’re a private compa- The great advantage about telling the truth is that other family members. “There is uncertainty on family is saddened by ny — a big company, but nobody ever believes it. — Dorothy L. Sayers, “Julian was a fine young the part of why he (Sexton) this tragic accident,” said we consider all our employ- 1893-1957, British crime novelist man,” said Doug Udell, didn’t see the truck or Ron Pecora, a Waste Pro ees as family. This is very Julian’s uncle from Live pedestrian,” he said. senior vice president. “Our devastating to us and dev- Oak. “He was friendly and Riordan said it is not clear thoughts and prayers go out astating to our employee’s Winning Lottery Numbers caring. I don’t know if he whether traffic was a factor to our employee’s family. family,” Pecora said. Pick 3: (Monday p.m.) 3-3-1 had an enemy. He just loved in the crash, but it’s also The garbage industry is a According to Waste Pro, Pick 4: (Monday p.m.) 4-9-5-4 people. He was a very fine something authorities will very dangerous occupation Udell had worked on and Fantasy 5: (Monday) 6-18-19-27-33 young man.” investigate.