Bernard Pistner
July 5, 1938 - July 18, 1999
This memorial is for a very special man, my father. Who will be remembered by all and who is loved by all. We miss you dad. Love your wife, daughters and grandchildren.
A TYPICAL SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ON SUNDAY NIGHTS MY MOM AND DAD WOULD TAKE MY BABY AND WATCH HER TILL I GOT HOME FROM WORK. MY MOM AND I BOTH WORKED AS ASSISTANT MANAGERS AND THE LOCAL FASTFOOD JOINT. MY MOM USUALLY WORKED THE OPENING SHIFT OR MID SHIFT LIKE TILL 7P.M. I WORKED THE CLOSING SHIFT ON SUNDAYS BECAUSE WITH MY HUSBAND WORKING 3RD SHIFT AND MY DIFFERENT SHIFTS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, THIS GAVE US SOME FAMILY TIME ON SUNDAYS.
THIS AFTERNOON MY MOM WAS WORKING THE 11 A.M. TO 7P.M. SHIFT. AS USUAL MY HUSBAND PLANNED TO DROP MACIE, MY DAUGHTER OFF AROUND 10 P.M.,BUT MIKE GOT CALLED TO WORK EARLY. SO MY SISTER ERIN AGREED TO KEEP THE BABY TILL MOM AND DAD COULD TAKE HER. DURING THE AFTERNOON, WE WENT TO MY MOMS AND DADS HOUSE TO DROP OFF OUR THINGS AND WE WERE GOING TO TAKE THE BABY SWIMMING AT HER AUNT ERINS HOUSE, WHICH IS JUST RIGHT UP THE ROAD FROM MOMS. IT WAS REALLY HOT THAT AFTERNOON. MACIE HAD FALLEN ASLEEP ON OUR WAY UP. SO WE JUST STAYED AT MOMS TILL SHE WOKE. DAD,MIKE, MACIE AND I HAD SAT TOGETHER AND WATCHED THE NEWS ON JFK, JR PLANE THAT HAD GONE DOWN. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS THAT THIS WOULD BE THE LAST I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SIT WITH MY DAD AND WATCH TELEVISION. I LEFT FOR WORK AT 3. SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING AT WORK THIS LADY CAME TO THE COUNTER, WHO LOOKED RATHER FAMILIAR. SHE ASKED FOR MY MOTHER. SO I TURNED AND GOT MOMS ATTENTION. THE LADY WAS MY DADS AUNT AND UNCLE FROM OHIO. SO, AT THE END OF MOMS SHIFT SHE HAD CALLED DAD AND ASKED HIM TO COME TO WORK, THERE WAS SOMEONE THERE THAT WANTED TO TALK WITH HIM. THEY SAT IN THE DINING ROOM FOR A WHILE JUST TALKING. THEY HAD MADE PLANS TO COME BACK TO TOWN IN THE FALL. THEY ALL LEFT THE RESTURANT TOGETHER AND WENT TO THE HOTEL THAT THEY WERE STAYING AT AND MADE RESERVATION TO COME BACK.
MOM AND DAD LEFT THERE AND WENT FOR DINNER. ON THE WAY HOME THEY WERE GOING TO PICK MACIE UP. BUT THEY WERE NOT FOR SURE WHICH SISTERS HOUSE THEY WERE AT. ( I HAVE 2 SISTERS) SO THEY WENT TO MICHELES HOUSE. SHE IS THE OLDEST SISTER AND WHO ALWAYS HAS MACIE. BUT APON ARRIVING, THEY FOUND MACIE WAS NOT THERE. THEY VISITED WITH MY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND FOR A FEW MINUTES. THEY LEFT THERE AND WENT TO MY OTHER SISTERS, ERIN, HOUSE. THAT IS WHERE MACIE WAS. THEY STAYED THERE WHILE THEY GOT THE BABY PACKED UP. WHEN THEY WERE LEAVING THEY REALIZED THAT WHEN MY HUSBAND DROPPED MACIE OFF, HE FORGOT TO LEAVE THE CAR SEAT. WELL, MOMS HOUSE FROM ERINS HOUSE IS ONLY 3 HOUSES DOWN. NOT THAT FAR. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN? ALOT..
MY DAD CARRIED MACIE FROM ERINS HOUSE, DOWN THE STEPS FROM HER HOME AND TO THE CAR. NOT KNOWING THAT THIS WOULD BE THE LAST HE WOULD HOLD HER. MOM GOT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT. DAD HANDED MACIE TO MOM, CLOSED THE DOOR, AND WALKED TO THE BACK OF THE CAR AND AROUND TO THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR TO GET IN. NOW DAD WAS LEGALLY PARKED OFF THE ROAD IN MY SISTERS LOWER DRIVEWAY. AS HE OPENED THE DOOR, A CAR CAME UP THE ROAD WAY AND HIT HIM FROM THE SIDE. THROWING DAD IN AGAINST THE OPENING SIDE OF THE DOOR, ROLLED HIM BACK THE SIDE OF THE BLAZER THAT HAD HIT HIM AND THREW HIM UP THE ROAD. DAD WAS KILLED INSTANTLY. MOM AND THE BABY AND JOLTED FORWARD. MOM THOUGHT THAT HER CAR HAD BLOWN UP. WHEN SHE LOOKED UP , SHE REALIZED THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN HIT. SHE DID NOT KNOW THAT DAD WAS HIT. SHE STARTED TO HOLLAR. SHE AND THE BABY GOT OUT OF THE CAR. THERE WAS A MAN WHO PARKED HIS CAR AT THE NEIGHBORS HOME. WHO WAS STANDING IN THERE YARD, SHE YELLED " BERNIE, LOOK AT WHAT HE DID TO MY CAR." "BERNIE". SHE RAN TO THE BACK OF THE CAR WITH THE BABY , LOOKING FOR DAD. WHEN SHE ROUNDED THE BACK OF THE CAR, SHE SAW DAD LAYING IN THE ROADWAY, INFRONT OF THE CAR. SHE THEN STARTED TO HOLLAR FOR MY SISTER, OR ANYONE TO CALL 911. SHE SCREAMED AT THE MAN TO LOOK AT WHAT HE HAD DONE. HE LOOKED AT HER AND SAID "SORRY LADY". MOM DESCRIBES THE TONE OF HIS VOICE AS THOUGH HE HAD APPOLOGIZED FOR KILLING HER DOG, NOT HER HUSBAND. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN JUST A FEW QUICK SECONDS. ERIN CAME RUNNING OUT OF HER HOUSE YELLING DAD WHERE ARE YOU, DAD WHERE ARE YOU. SHE WENT BACK INTO HER HOUSE TO CALL FOR 911. SHE HAD HEARD MOM YELLING TO CALL FOR HELP. ONCE ERIN CALLED 911, SHE CALLED ME AT WORK. I RECIEVED THIS CALL AT EXACTLY 1045. I KNOW THIS TIME FOR SURE BECAUSE, I HAD LOOKED AT THE CLOCK AND TOLD MY CREW THAT WE HAD ONLY 15 MORE MINUTES BEFORE WE CLOSED. THE PHONE RANG AT WORK, IN MY HEAD, I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE THE OWNER OF THE STORE CALLING FOR THE NUMBERS FOR THE DAY SO FAR. WHAT A SUPRISE I GOT. I HEARD MY SISTER YELLING AT ME TO LEAVE THAT DAD HAD BEEN HIT BY A CAR, TO COME QUICK. I THREW THE PHONE AND RAN, TELLING THE CREW TO CALL THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE STORE. MY DAD HAD BEEN HIT BY A CAR. I WANTED TO BELIEVE SO BAD THAT SHE JUST TOLD ME THAT THE DOG WAS HIT, NOT DAD. I ONLY WORK LIKE 1 BLOCK FROM MY MOM AND DADS HOME. RIGHT WHERE THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF EVERYWHICH WAY A CAR COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HIT DAD. MY DAD STOOD 6 FOOT TALL AND WEIGHED 260 LBS. MY SISTER LIVES ON A WELL LITE ROAD, SHE HAS A PORCHE LIGHT THAT IS ALWAYS LIT, AND THE NEIGHBORS HAD A DUSK TO DAWN LITE ON THE SIDE OF THERE HOME, FACING THE ROAD. AS I ROUNDED THE TURN TO MY SISTERS HOUSE, I SAW MY DAD LAYING ON THE ROAD. THIS REALLY IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED TO SEE. THERE WAS A CROWD OF PEOPLE STANDING THERE. MOM HOLDING MACIE AND HOLLARING FRANTICALLY. I TOOK MACIE FROM MOM AND STARTED TO DEMAND FOR SOMEONE TO TELL ME WHO DID THIS TO MY DAD. A MAN FROM BEHIND BE SAID I DID. I TURN AND JUST STARTED TO SCREAM AT HIM. HE TOLD ME HE DIDNT SEE MY DAD.HOW? WAS AND IS MY QUESTION.. HOW DID U NOT SEE HIM?
THE MEDIC AND THE POLICE ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER I DID. I WENT TO MY MOM AND SISTER. MOM TOOK A GLANCE AT DAD AND HAD SAW THE MEDICS START CPR. SHE PASSED OUT. MY OTHER SISTER AND HER HUSBAND HAD ARRIVED RIGHT THEN. BOTH SISTERS, CAUGHT HER AND BROKE THE FALL. SHE CAME RIGHT BACK.
WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL A WHILE LATER. IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS AWHILE. IT PROBABLY WAS JUST A FEW MINUTES LATER. MY MOM HAS HAD A HEART ATTACK ONCE BEFOR.I WAS WORRIED ABOUT HER HAVING A HEART ATTACK. SO I GRABBED A MEDIC THERE AND TOLD THEM THAT SHE NEEDED HELP. SHE HAS A HISTORY OF HEART. THEY DISPATCHED ANOTHER AMBULANCE. MOM DEMANDED THAT SHE WOULD NOT GO IN THAT. SHE WOULD HAVE THE NEIGHBOR TAKE HER. WELL, I CONVINCED HER TO GO WITH ME IN THE AMBULANCE.
AS WE ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL, WE WERE ALL SEPERATED QUICKLY. THEY HAD ALREADY HAD DAD THERE AND WAS WORKING ON HIM, THEY TOOK MOM AND STARTED XRAYS ON HER FOOT. THE REST OF THE FAMILY WENT TO THE WAITING ROOM. SHORTLY AFTER I SAW MY UNCLE, MOMS BROTHER COME FROM THE EMERENCY ROOM, HE WALKED TO MY BROTHER IN LAW AND SAID HE HAS A LOT OF HEAD TRAUMA. I JUST KNEW IN MY HEART, THAT IT MAY BE ALONG RECOVERY, BUT DAD AND MOM BOTH WOULD BE OK. WELL,I WAS WRONG. THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD TO BRING THE MAN IN THAT KILLED MY DAD FOR ROUTINE BLOOD WORK FOR A DUI. AS THEY ENTERED THE BUILDING, THEY GATHERED THE FAMILY TOGETHER AND ASKED US TO GO UP THE HALL AWAY FROM THE ENTERANCE. AFTER STANDING THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES. A NURSE WITH A SICKENING LOOK ON HER FACE CAME TO US AND ASKED IF WE WERE MR.PISTNERS FAMILY. SOMEONE REPLIED YES. SHE ASKED US TO FOLLOW HER. THEY TOOK US TO A SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM WHERE THEY BROUGHT MY MOM IN, IN A WHEEL CHAIR. SHE HAD A SPRAINED ANKLE, THAT ENDED UP TO BE BROKEN. THEN CAME A PRIEST. NO DOCTOR NO NURSE, NOBODY. WE ALL KNEW WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. HE HAD ASKED US IF THE DOCTOR HAD SPOKE TO US. NO SOMEONE REPLIED. SO HE LEFT GOT THE DOCTOR AND BOTH CAME BACK. THEN , RIGHT THERE HE TOLD US THAT DAD DID NOT SURVIVE THE INJURIES HE HAD SUSTAINED IN THE ACCIDENT.
THE MAN (ROGER) WAS CHARGED WITH, VEHICULAR HOMICIDE, INVULANTARY MANSLAUGHTER, 2 COUNTS OF DUI, DRIVING AT A SAFE SPEED, RECKLESS DRIVING, INVULANTARY MANSLAUGHTER WHILE DUI.
WE HAD SEVERAL HEARINGS. A PRELIMINARY. THAT WAS JUST TO SEE WHAT CHARGES WOULD GO TO COURT. THEN WE HAD A SUPRESSION HEARING. THAT WAS THE DEFENSE TRYING TO GET MORE CHARGES DROPPED. NOTHING WAS DROPPED. THAT WAS THE GOOD PART. THEN IN MAY , 2 MONTHS SHORT OF A YEAR LATER, WAS THE TRIAL. IT WAS REALLY BAD. THE DISTRIC ATTORNEY DROPPED CHARGES WITH OUT NOTIFING MY MOTHER OR ANY OF THE FAMILY. HE WAS CONVICEDED OF INVULANTARY MANSLAUGHTER, 2 COUNTS OF DUI AND DRIVING AT A SAFE SPEED. WELL, THAT IS NOTHING. HIS SENTENCING IS 18 TO 48 MONTHS. THAT IS A STATE PRISION SENTENCING HERE IN PENNSLYVANIA. THE JUDGE OVER RULED IT AND MADE IT A COUNTY SENTENCING.. WHY? HE HAS NO MINOR CHILDREN AT HOME, NO WIFE NOTHING JUST A JOB AND HIS HABIT AND HIS DEBITS. DURING THE SENTENCING, THE JUDGE SAID THAT HE DID A BACKGROUND CHECK. ROGER, WAS A REPEATED AFFENDER. HE HAS 3 OTHER DUI'S. HE WAS SENTENCED BECAUSE HE IS A REPEATED OFFENDER. NOT BECAUSE HE KILLED MY FATHER. WE FOUND THROUGH A LITTLE SERCHING THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, WOULD NOT LET THE OFFICERS SHOW ALL OF THEIR EVIDENCE. COME TO FIND OUT, ROGERS UNCLE IS A MULTI MILLIONARE. DO I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A CASH FLOW UNDERTHE TABLE? YES. WHY ELSE WOULD THINGS HAPPEN THE WAY THEY DID.
WE ALL HAVE GREAT MEMORIES OF DAD. THEY WILL LAST FOREVER.
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