Honoring Sgt. who revived baby after crash in Charlotte County

Reporter: Justin Kase Writer: Matias Abril
Published: Updated:
Sergeant
Sergeant Dave Musgrove and baby Lola. CREDIT: Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office

An award of a lifetime for a sergeant who made sure a baby lived.

Earlier this month, Sergeant Dave Musgrove brought baby Lola back to life on the side of the road in Charlotte County.

He saved her and her family from a horrific car crash. A family friend confirmed to us that Lola is back home.

On Wednesday, Attorney General Ashley Moody honored Sergeant Musgrove with the “Back the Blue Award.”

Lola and her family were by his side.

The community’s really coming together to support the family.

They’ve already raised tens of thousands of dollars, but that money may barely scratch the surface.

$75,000 and counting, it’s an incredible act of kindness from more than a thousand people in our community who want to help Lola’s family cover the cost of her medical bills.

But that money can be used up quickly. WINK spoke with John Garnder, the owner of Lee County Insurance Agency.

One of his clients has a child who had to be airlifted to a children’s hospital, just like Lola had to be, and he explained that the 20-minute flight there is $60,000.

“It’s staggering what a medical bill can be because you have no idea what kind of tests you’re going to need. This was an obvious trauma, so I’m sure there’s MRIs and CAT scans and EEGs and all kinds of stuff,” Gardner said.

There was devastating damage to the car Lola was in after someone on a motorcycle slammed into the car, going more than 100 miles an hour.

Garnder said motorcyclists are not required to carry insurance in Florida in most scenarios. He said that’s what uninsured or underinsured motorist policies are for when the other driver doesn’t have insurance or enough coverage.

“Rates are going up substantially right now in Florida for auto insurance, and it is one of those things that is optional, and it is one of the first things that people, unfortunately, will give up to save potentially a couple hundred bucks a year,” he said.

Gardner said it’s not uncommon for lengthy hospital stays to result in medical bills in the hundreds of thousands or even millions.

Lola’s family said they’re just praying for her to remain seizure-free as she continues her recovery.

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