"She continually asked where her mom was at," said a choked up and grieving Jerry Maxwell, as he described how he told his daughter Michaela about the death of her mom. "But I waited till after she had been through surgery for her injuries before informing her."
Michelle Maxwell was teaching Michaela how to drive when police say Mitchell Green, 30, slammed into them with his pickup truck while driving drunk Tuesday night. A driver captured video of Green's pickup ablaze after it then struck a powerpole. "I have been asked many times if I feel hatred and disgust for Mr. Green for his actions that led to the death of my wife Michelle and the injuries to my daughter Michaela. To say that I haven't had those feelings would be a lie. However, I am confident that if Mr. Green does recover that our justice system will deal with him appropriately," continued Maxwell.
Maxwell says breaking the news to his other daughter didn't get any easier. "So I went up to my daughter Katherine...and told her mom had passed away in the accident. And there have been very few times --- it's always been a joke with my daughters. She said 'dad, you're lying to me.' She screamed 'dad, you're lying.'"
Mitchell Green was taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno for in-depth treatment of his serious injiuries. As for Michaela, her doctor is confident she will recover fully from her physical injuries. Her emotional healing will take much longer.
The public is invited to a memorial service for Michele Maxwell at Grace Assembly of God Church next Friday at noon. That's located at 2800 Larson Lane. Donations can be made at the church address or at P.O. Box 41255, Bakersfield, Ca. 93384.
