Man run over by car in Walmart parking lot has died

The Cedar Rapids man run over by a car in a Walmart parking lot on Tuesday has died, a family spokeswoman said.

Terence “Buddah” Adams, of Cedar Rapids, was pronounced dead Friday morning at St. Luke's Hospital after he was taken off life support, Adams' friend and neighbor Mary Dalton told The Gazette. He was 23.

Police have not confirmed the death.

Adams was hit from behind Tuesday afternoon as he walked away from the Walmart store at 2645 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE. The car, driven by Dorothy Simanek, 85, of Walker, rested on Adams' neck for about 18 minutes before rescuers could lift it to remove him, authorities said.

Police have said no charges will be filed against Simanek because the accident happened on private property. Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said investigators believe Simanek did not act with “willful or a wanton disregard” for Adams' safety, which is the definition of reckless driving.

Linn County Attorney Harold Denton said reckless driving is open to some interpretation, but it really comes down to an “intent to disregard safety.” He said Cedar Rapids police investigators have done good work in the past and trusts their opinions.

“As a practical matter, I just don't think you'd be able to show recklessness,” said Denton, who had not seen police reports but was following the case in the media. “I just don't think you could prove that. Now, that's totally separate from whether someone is civilly liable.”

Simanek's driving record does not show any traffic-related convictions in at least five years, said Dave Stutz, an executive officer with the Iowa Department of Transportation. More serious charges would be retained on the driving record longer than that, but none were shown for Simanek, Stutz said.

Police are likely to ask the DOT to re-evaluate Simanek for a driver's license, based on the seriousness of the crash, Hamblin said. The re-evaluation is common practice if there is a referral from the police, a judge or anyone else with a well-documented report, Stutz said.

Simanek has declined a request for an interview.

“Nobody feels vengeful,” Dalton said. “I'm sure that woman is going through so much herself. But somebody needs to be accountable.”

Adams, who moved to Cedar Rapids from Chicago five years ago, was engaged to be married. He has a young daughter, a stepson and another baby on the way with his fiancé, Dalton said. He loved basketball, including the Los Angeles Lakers.

About 40 minutes before the incident, Adams called Dalton's husband, William, to see if they wanted to have a barbecue. He told them he would go to Walmart to pick up some food and never returned.

Family and friends plan to hold a candlelight vigil in the store parking lot at 10 p.m. Saturday. On Thursday night, they prayed together and wrote messages in chalk near the spot where Adams was struck.

Dalton said doctors kept Adams' heart beating long enough for his organs to be donated.

“He was amazing with his kids,” Dalton said. “He was a really, really good guy.”

Statement from the Terence Adams family

“The family of Terence Adams, would like to extend their appreciation to those that helped Terrence on Tuesday, March 23, 2010. They include the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Linn County Sheriff's Department, Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha Fire Departments, Area Ambulance, Walmart personnel and the staff at St. Luke's Hospital. The response and support these agencies have given to our family has been overwhelming.

To the driver of the vehicle, our family knows that you didn't pick our son to be a victim. This was an accident. Everyone in our family and the family of the driver is suffering in this. This is a civil case and not a criminal case because it happened on private property. We would appreciate if the public and the media would respect the privacy of both families involved.”

Memorial fund

A memorial fund has been established at the Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust at 500 1 Ave NE or 5400 Council St NE in Terence Adams' memory. For those wanting to donate, just stop by the bank and let the teller know the money is for the Terence Adams' memorial fund.