Nearly 11 months after he was seriously injured in a head-on, two-car crash near the bottom of the Wabasso Bridge, Francisco “Paco” Munoz has no memory of the impact that nearly killed him.
“I had just finished teaching a Latin-dance fitness class at Orchid Island, drove through the gate, turned right and drove over the bridge,” Munoz recalled. “As I got near the bottom, I looked up into the rear-view mirror to check behind me.
“That’s when I was hit.”
The Mercedes E350 driven by Harlow Woodward, who was headed east on State Road 510 shortly before 6 p.m. on April 1, swerved into the westbound lane and collided into the front-left corner of Munoz’s Toyota Prius.
Woodward, 69, wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene. Munoz, who was buckled up and protected by the deployment of his car’s airbags, was knocked unconscious.
“The only thing I remember after the crash was hearing somebody’s voice saying, ‘Hang in there, buddy,’ ” Munoz said. “But even that felt like a dream.”
In fact, Munoz, who had celebrated his 39th birthday only three days earlier, slipped into a coma and didn’t regain consciousness for 12 days. He has no recollection of being removed from the wreckage, or of being flown to the hospital, or of anything that happened in between.
Including any conversations.
“I missed the helicopter ride,” Munoz said, grinning. “They said I was talking during the flight and that the first thing I said was, ‘Don’t call my parents.’ “I guess I didn’t want them to worry.”
He smiled again.
And why not? He’s alive and walking … and working again.
After spending 2 1/2 months at the Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, undergoing operations to repair fractures to his right femur and right arm, having his gall bladder and three feet of his small intestine removed in separate surgeries, and losing more than 40 pounds, Munoz has resumed his career.
He’s again teaching fitness classes and working with private clients as a personal trainer and massage therapist at Orchid Island. He’s back on the courts at the Lozano & Osorio Tennis Academy at Timber Ridge, where he works with juniors.
Just recently, he accepted the job of the tennis coach at the St. Edward’s School.
“I’m not 100 percent yet – probably 85 or 90 – but I’m back,” Munoz said. “I still have a problem jogging and running. Sometimes, I have numbness in my right leg and right hand, which can affect me on the tennis court. But I’m able to do my work.
“I think being in such good shape helped me survive the accident and helped me come back,” he continued. “I started off with a very fast recovery, but I haven’t made the same kind of progress the last three months. I’ve hit a plateau and I’m stuck. But I’ll get there.
“I’m very lucky,” he added. “Did you see the pictures of the crash? I’m lucky to be alive, and I’m happy to be working again. I wish I could be 110 percent, but I’m a believer. God kept me alive. He’ll help with this, too.”
He might also need divine intervention – or maybe a winning Lotto ticket – to overcome the financial hit he has taken since the crash.
Though Munoz was covered by health insurance and received a six-figure settlement from Woodward’s estate, he said his medical bills have left him $650,000 in debt.
“Insurance has its limits,” Munoz said. “And even though we settled with Mr. Woodward, it wasn’t a great settlement because he didn’t have a lot left in his retirement account. We got about $170,000. So my lawyer, Brian Connelly, is trying to negotiate a deal with the hospital.”
Munoz said a Florida Highway Patrol traffic homicide investigation found that Woodward, who was a Central Beach resident, had alcohol and medication in his blood.
Also, less than 30 minutes before the fatal crash, motorists on U.S. 1 had made 911 calls to complain of a car matching the description Woodward’s Mercedes driving recklessly in the northbound lanes, prompting the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office to issue a BOLO (be on the lookout) for the vehicle.
Munoz said a woman who was driving behind Woodward when the crash occurred visited him in the hospital and told him what she saw.
“She was very nice,” said Munoz, who came to Vero Beach in 2012, when Jorge Lozano and Marco Osorio opened a tennis academy in Vero Beach. “Really, everyone has been so supportive since the accident – especially the people at Orchid Island and Timber Ridge – and I’m very grateful. There are a lot of good people in this community.
“I feel blessed.”
Munoz said he likes Vero Beach and plans to settle here, despite the crash. He recently created his own fitness and wellness company, Athlos Sport Consulting, which he said has benefitted from the attention he has received since the accident.
He said he’s not haunted by his near-death experience.
“Some people wondered if I’d be afraid to drive on that bridge again, but it hasn’t been a problem,” Munoz said. “I haven’t had any flashbacks at all. Maybe it’s because I can’t remember the crash.
“All I know is that I could’ve died and I didn’t,” he added. “So God must have me here for a reason. I believe that reason is to help people.”
