Mother says racing crash is a lesson

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - The mother of a teen ejected out of a vehicle following what police are calling an accident due to racing says she hopes the incident will be a lesson for others.

Virginia Beach Police charged two teenagers with racing on Lynnhaven Parkway. Investigators say the teens caused a horrific crash that still has an Ocean Lakes junior fighting for his life.

"In the blink of an eye my son's future was taken from him," Bonny Denney said.

Every minute for the last two weeks, Corey Cashwell's family has been by his bedside at Norfolk Sentara General Hospital.

"I lost a younger brother to a car accident and then to think I was going to lose my youngest son to one... [it's] very upsetting," Denney said.

Denney's son Corey was on his way to see a movie with friends on the evening of Sept. 9. when the crash happened as result of two cars racing down Lynnhaven Parkway.

Corey was a passenger in a Camaro driven by 17-year-old. When the cars passed the intersection of Lynnhaven Parkway and Lishelle Place, the juvenile lost control of the Camaro, hit a tree, rotated 180 degrees and struck a second tree. At this point, the Camaro rotated back into the roadway and struck a Nissan driven by Joseph Fisher, III on the driver's side. The Nissan then moved across two lanes and struck a tree as well.

Corey Cashwell was thrown from the Camaro as it flipped and as a result, suffered two collapsed lungs, dozens of broken bones and a massive brain injury. He has been left with post-traumatic amnesia, according to his mother.

"He does not remember us," Denney said. "He does not remember me and to me that just breaks my heart every time I see him."

Doctors are hopeful the 16-year-old's memory will come back one day. His mother says this should have never happened.

"I gave birth to this child and to have teenagers, because they want to race, take him away... I'm very angry," Denney said.

Police charged the drivers of both cars, 19-year-old Fisher and another juvenile, with racing.

"The one thing I want to make sure I say is that I'm glad I'm lucky I'm not in [Corey's] shoes right now," Fisher told WAVY.com after he was bonded out of jail. "I'm glad I was wearing my seatbelt."

"The cold heartedness," Denney said in reaction to Fisher's statement the day before. "Well you know, I'm glad he's not in my son's shoes too. I don't wish anybody on that and I don't wish any parent goes through this."

Denney knows she can't change what happened, but she hopes someone learns from it.

"Teenagers need to realize they're not invincible," Denney said. "When they have other people in the car they are not only responsible for themselves, but they are responsible their passengers."

Denny says her son has many more months in the hospital before he comes home. She tells WAVY.com the medical bills are already piling up.

The family has set of a fund for any one who wants to donate called "We Ride 4 Corey." They set up a Facebook page for the organization.

People can also donate by making checks payable to "We Ride 4 Corey." P.O. Box 3100, Merrifield, VA 22119

There is an account set up at Navy Federal Credit Union at 1-888-842-6328. Please provide access number 669897.