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Chesterfield woman hopes her story will slow down drivers: ‘God spared me’

Posted at 5:52 PM, Aug 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-08 22:42:55-04

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- It's been five years since a horrible accident left Renny Humphrey severely injured and in a coma for 28 days.

Her road to recovery took months.

Humphrey spends her days now, with a grateful heart. Every time she stands in her front yard on Beach Road, she thinks about the accident that her mom witnessed.

She was hit by a driver while crossing this road.

Humphrey remembers what it took to finally get back on her feet.

“I just praised those doctors at VCU. Dr. Moonsamit did the waist down and put my legs back on my hips. Dr. Boardmand did my waist up and put my arms back on,” said the well-known former member of the Board of Supervisors in Chesterfield and Matoaca High science teacher

Though Humphrey still lives with physical and emotional scars, she doesn’t let them rule her life. Instead, they fuel her drive to make every day count.

“God spared me that day. He really did,” said an emotional Humphrey. “He has something else for me to do. It is to teach.”

On this day, CBS 6 Problem Solver Shelby Brown and Humphrey watched as cars sped down Beach Road.

Though Humphrey hasn’t pressed VDOT, she does believe Beach Road could use some safety improvements.

"Beach Road needs a thorough evaluation. Not just in spots and pieces. It’s time for Beach Road to be looked at as an arterial connector," Humphrey added.

She hopes drivers will take her story and her safety message to heart so no one else has to endure the pain that she did.

“I've watched this road get faster and faster and faster. We’ve got to slow down on Beach Road,” she said. “We've got different traffic patterns for these buses. I just implore people to just slow down.”

VDOT officials say since 2013 they’ve done two traffic studies in the Beach Road area and the data collected does not support a change in the speed limit. They’ve noted two pedestrian accidents since 2011.

However, officials say if people in the area think another study needs to be done, they should reach out to VDOT.

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