By Mike Cason
A Montgomery car dealership is giving a specially equipped van to Amy Dicks, a wife and mother who was severely injured by crossfire from a shootout while driving on a busy section of the Atlanta Highway in Montgomery on a Friday afternoon in April.
Toyota of Montgomery will present Dicks with the handicapped accessible van at an event Monday at the dealership on Eastern Boulevard. The van is valued at more than $100,000, according to a news release from the Sutherlin Automotive Group, which owns the dealership.
Dicks was struck by a bullet fired during a shootout between two other vehicles on April 12. The bullet left her paralyzed from the chest down, according to the news release. Dicks is returning to her south Montgomery County home after months of hospitalization and rehabilitation.
Brett Sutherlin, CEO of Sutherlin Automotive Group, said he was deeply moved by the resilience Dicks showed in the face of difficult circumstances when he visited her in the hospital.
“We are profoundly touched by Amy Dicks’ strength and courage,” Sutherlin said. “Providing her with this accessible van is a small gesture to help someone who has faced such tremendous adversity. After meeting her and understanding her situation, it became clear how vital this support is. Our thoughts and support are with her and her family during this time.”
Authorities have charged five suspects, four from Prattville and one from Millbrook, in the shooting.
