Nutley Family Makes ‘Plea For Decency’ After Hit-And-Run In Belleville

BELLEVILLE-NUTLEY, NJ — A Nutley family is asking for help with medical bills after a New Jersey man was seriously injured during a hit-and-run in Belleville. But it’s really the person who was behind the wheel who should be paying the price, they say.

Earlier this week, Nutley Town Historian John Demmer put out a “plea for decency” in the name of his son, John.

A GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly $4,000 from dozens of donors. See it online here.

According to the senior Demmer, his son was struck by a car on Dec. 9 while riding his motorcycle at 1:40 a.m. on Washington Avenue in Belleville.

Demmer said the car is believed to be a 2019-2023 white Subaru Forester with the sport package (black trim with orange striping). It may have damage under its passenger side doors, he said.

The crash put Demmer in the intensive care unit of the hospital, an experience that he recounted in a social media post on Dec. 15:

“I am literally being screwed back together piece by piece. Hurts like all hell, but I am alive and grateful for the support of all of my friends and family. I would not be this far along or mentally well if it wasn't for all of you … I luckily don't remember a ton of the impact or accident itself, which in a way feels merciful to me. It looks like one or two amazing humans stayed with me until the ambulance scooped me up.”

Demmer’s father gave an update on the situation – and the ongoing search for the driver – on Wednesday.

“It’s been exactly one month since we almost lost our son to a hit and run in Belleville,” he wrote. “The motorist that hit John’s motorcycle has still not been found, but with a flyer post on Facebook that has over 350 shares, there are a lot of people looking for you.”

Demmer made a plea to the person who was behind the wheel that day:

“The current important issue is the insurance that you must have on your car. I don’t think you fully understand how badly hurt my son is. He spent about 10 days in ICU and another 20+ days in a rehab center where he still is now. He has had two surgeries and faces the possibility of a couple more. He has only walked a small amount twice in the last week and he has a very long recovery ahead of him. He is in a lot of pain but is staying strong in the hope that we can find his assailant.”

He continued:

“While his health insurance covers SOME of this expense, it certainly does not cover it all. Add the fact that he is out of work and will be for a while and disability covers only a portion of his previous pay and none of his side work money. He is going to need a lot of things purchased for his time out of the rehab center when he will be living with us and he has a mortgage to pay every month or he can lose his home. We are pulling together what we can to make this month’s payment for him.”

“Don't compound the mistake you made a month ago by setting this huge financial burden on our family,” the senior Demmer implored. “The guilt you will have for the rest of your life will be a burden on you in the times when you realize just exactly what you did. Clear your conscious by turning yourself in and we as a family can learn to forgive.”

“If you are someone who knows who did this you are just as guilty for what the driver did and is still doing to our family,” he added.

According to the Demmers’ GoFundMe campaign, they are a “proud family and don't like to ask for help.” But John needs to spend his time focusing on his recovery, they say – not worrying about paying bills.

“Bless you all for taking the time to read this and for keeping John in your thoughts, and as always, please keep looking for the suspect vehicle so we can find the person who should really be the one paying for all of this,” the campaign states.

• See Related: Meet 10 NJ Families Who Had To Crowdfund For Health Care
• See Related: Here Are 9 More NJ Families Who Crowdfunded To Pay Medical Bills

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