JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The driver accused of crashing through the front of a Lakewood bar earlier this month, killing one woman and injuring five others, said said she would do anything to undo what she did.
The fatal crash at McB's Lounge on St. Augustine Road in the early-morning hours of Sept. 7 is still being investigated and no charges have been filed, but the driver, Amy Fennell, said Monday she wishes she were the one killed.
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Instead, 26-year-old Tiffany Zihal, of Jacksonville Beach, died that night. Fennell and three others were injured.
Fennell told Channel 4's Dan Leveton in an emotional interview that she'd been crying ever since the crash.
"It was an accident. It was truly an accident," Fennell said. "I would rather be gone than have the girl whose life was taken be gone. If I could, I would switch places with her."
Fennell said she was having trouble with her son and went to the bar looking for help from her ex-husband. She said it happened so fast, she doesn't remember exactly what happened.
"I can't wish it to go away. All I was trying to do was get help for my son. I feel sorry for them and their families," Fennell said. "If I could turn the time back, I would."
She said she has received death threats.
McB's owner, Buddy Burch, told Channel 4 that he had turned away Fennell just before the incident, but he doesn't know if that had anything to do with the the crash.
The storefront bar has been repaired and reopened, but Burch, his employees and regular customers can't forget what happened.
"It sounded like an explosion when she came through the door at first, then another one when she hit the bar," Burch said.
Prosecutors said they are waiting for toxicology tests to be completed before decided whether any charges will be filed against Fennell.
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- September 7, 2005: Woman Dies, Five Injured When Car Crashes Into Bar