Florida couple marries in hospital after groom hurt in crash on way to the wedding
A Florida couple tied the knot in a hospital room after the groom was hurt in a crash on the way to their wedding.
Kapri DeRamus was heading to the ceremony in Altamonte Springs, about a 20-minute drive north of Orlando, to marry Tyasia Thomas when he was hit head-on in a car crash late Saturday afternoon, the personal injury law firm representing the couple told local media.
“He was stopped at a traffic light, only 15 minutes from the venue and on his way to marry my sister, when a speeding vehicle struck the median and hit his vehicle head-on,” Maurice Mathies, Thomas’ brother, wrote on a GoFundMe fundraising page.
DeRamus broke both of his arms and broke his jaw in the crash, according to the Osborne, Francis & Pettis law firm. His ribs were also injured and he had a significant laceration to his knee.
“I’m just in my own little world, and out of nowhere, just got struck by a car, and not even thinking at the time, not even knowing what’s going on. I was so delirious,” DeRamus, who was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon, said at a press conference attended by WESH 2 News.
The Altamonte Springs Police Department confirmed to The Independent that DeRamus was in a car crash in their city over the weekend near Hermits Trail.
When Thomas received a call just an hour before her wedding ceremony that her groom was in an accident, she and her family rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was being treated, according to the law firm.
“But instead of postponing their nuptials, after Mr. DeRamus was stabilized, the couple opted to gather their friends later that evening while he was still in a hospital bed at ORMC to tie the knot,” the law firm said.
In a video of the hospital ceremony shared by local media, DeRamus’ grandfather, who officiated the service, said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Kapri DeRamus.”
The small crowd of family members clapped and cheered as Thomas kissed DeRamus from his hospital bed.
Thomas recalled what she called the “very traumatizing” experience of seeing her soon-to-be husband immediately after the crash.
“I remember in the car just saying, ‘My biggest fear is losing him,’” she said at the press conference.
“Throughout all of the trauma that I’m dealing with, I want to have this ring on, and it signifies our love that we have for each other. Six strong years, and just a lifetime ahead of us,” DeRamus said.
To help them with that journey, Thomas’ brother created the GoFundMe page.
“Now, instead of leaving for their honeymoon, they are trying to get through medical expenses, loss of income, a totaled vehicle, and the emotional weight of starting their life together this way,” Mathies wrote on the page, which has raised about $2,500 as of Thursday. “The fundraiser will help cover his medical costs and road to recovery while they navigate their day-to-day bills and living expenses.”
As of Thursday, the couple’s lawyers had not decided whether to pursue legal action because of the crash. The Independent has reached out to the law firm for comment.
