The father of a 4-year-old who survived a deadly accident involving a repeat OWI offender spoke to TODAY’S TMJ4 Monday about the close call his family encountered.
"Just gut wrenching, like somebody stabbed me right in my heart," said Anthony Marrari.
Frank Schiller was arrested for his sixth OWI after hitting and killing 48-year-old Peter Enns in Delafield Saturday night. A mom outside the van with Enns—who stopped to help her change a flat tire—watched her van get hit with her kids inside. She called her 4-year-old's dad Marrari to tell him their son was being rushed to the emergency room along with the three other kids in the van.
"As soon as the car was hit the van had already hit the ditch and it flipped over twice with the kids in the car," Marrari said.
The four kids, all wearing seat belts, survived but bumps and bruises cover 4-year-old Jessiah Marrari's body.
"He was screaming, the chair, when the car flipped, the chair flipped down and smacked him in the face," Marrari said.
Jessiah remembered looking at his brother when the car flipped.
"Was bleeding so much on his leg," Jessiah said.
Marrari is beyond thankful his son and step children are doing OK. He can't help thinking about the family of Enns, whose life was taken.
"Thank you to the man who stopped and attempted to help get them off the side of the road. From the bottom of my heart I really do apologize to his family for having to go through what they have to go through," Marrari said.
After learning about the driver's history, including six OWI arrests and multiple drug charges, Marrari's message wasn't just for the man behind bars.
"I understand there's a big drug epidemic in where we live and it needs to come to a stop ‘cause innocent people are losing their life from it," Marrari said.
Schiller was arrested after the crash. Four months ago he was arrested for his fifth OWI and at that time was released on a signature bond. Right now, he's in jail on a $1 million bond.
