Date: December 12, 2012
by: Megan Hoye | Staff Writer

Courtesy photo.

David Ottati has seen a lot of accidents. It’s part of his job. But what the chief executive officer of Florida Hospital Flagler hadn’t seen was an accident as it happened outside of the hospital.

That changed Friday. Ottati worked late that night, and was driving home from the hospital on John Anderson Highway just before 10 p.m. The road was dark, and is often crossed by wildlife.

As he drove, Otttati saw the motorcyclist in front of him lose control negotiating a curve in the road. The driver, who was later identified as 30-year-old Brian A. Davis, of Daytona Beach, left the road, passed across the grassy shoulder and into the woods.

The motorcycle, a 2006 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail, overturned before colliding with a tree, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report.

Ottati, 200 yards behind, stopped on the side of the road and found the motorcyclist face-up on the ground. He was unconscious, but breathing. Ottati cleared branches and vines from the victim’s face and called 911.

“To me, that’s the biggest part of this story,” Ottati said. “It was neat to see how fast those guys responded.”

As he waited, Ottati moved his vehicle so his high-beam headlights shone into the woods and onto the unconscious man.

The police came first. Emergency Medical Services followed close behind. Within minutes, Davis was on a stretcher and stabilized. Shortly after, he was on his way to Halifax Medical Center and listed in critical condition.

He hadn’t been wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Alcohol was not a factor, according to the FHP.
The report also states that $12,000 in damage was done to the bike.

“We see accidents every single day at the hospital,” Ottati said, adding that he’s never seen how emergency services work out in the field.

“It was nice to see that coordination of health care out in the field and in the hospital,” Ottati said. “They both work together. I see things in the hospital, but it’s nice to see the system we have externally as well.”

Email Megan Hoye at megan@palmcoastobserver.com.