Restaurant owner remembers local who died in Matlacha crash

Reporter: Taylor Wirtz Writer: Elyssa Morataya
Published: Updated:

Saturday started out like any other day on Matlacha for That BBQ Place owner John Petrus.

“Saturday was a very busy day here,” said Petrus.

His friends Butch and Mary Lou stopped by for a visit, as they often did.

“Because we had customers out back, they decided to sit out front,” said Petrus. “I was in and out of the conversation as long as they were here.”

Petrus stepped inside for one minute to make a cup of coffee, a minute that changed his life forever.

“I heard the car and the impact,” said Petrus. “I do remember seeing the white streak in front of the door. After that, it was just carnage.”

He found his friends scattered on the floor.

“I felt useless. I couldn’t help anybody. I couldn’t do anything, and I am standing in the middle of all this carnage and watching my friend Butch ask where Mary Lou was, and telling him that, ‘I’ll find out for you.'”

But when he found Mary Lou, she was already gone. Butch and three others were taken to the hospital.

The loss has rocked the island community. Petras said Butch and Mary Lou together were everything good about it.

“Butch and Mary Lou are like everybody’s mother and father,” said Petrus. “If the island had royalty, it would be them.”

While he wants to keep the details of butch’s recovery private, He’s hoping the community will send love his way.

“I know he’s in pain physically and emotionally, and more than anything, I hope people just pray for him nonstop,” said Petrus. “This island just didn’t lose a resident. Lost a family member, and it’s irreplaceable.”

Neighbors on Matlacha said two of the crash victims are out of the hospital now.

Petrus said he’s hoping to reopen That BBQ Place by Friday.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.