Hit-and-run victim at Boynton Beach vigil 'happy that he's alive'

Lianna Norman, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read

The day after Christmas in 2021, young Stanley Davis III died when his dirt bike crashed as a Boynton Beach police officer tried to pull him over.

Exactly one year later, the organizer of a vigil that drew dozens to remember the 13-year-old’s death stepped off a median onto North Federal Highway in Boynton Beach when a white Camaro suddenly appeared, hit him, threw him up in the air and fled.

Bishop Bernard Wright, 70, landed broken but conscious.

Bishop Bernard Wright, center, stands with others before he was hit by a car during vigil  to mark one year since the death of Stanley Davis III
Bishop Bernard Wright, center, stands with others before he was hit by a car during vigil to mark one year since the death of Stanley Davis III

And exactly one week later, doctors say Wright is talking and in good spirits after enduring multiple surgeries for broken bones in both legs and his right arm.

“He’s happy that he’s alive,” said Dr.  Igor Nichiporenko, assistant trauma medical director at Delray Medical Center, said Monday at a news conference at the hospital.

The white Chevy Camaro that hit him has been found, but its driver still hasn't been identified. City police said Tuesday that they have impounded the vehicle.

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Dr. Igor Nichiporenko of Delray Medical Center tells reporters at a news conference Monday evening that Bernard Wright was lucky not to have injuries to his brain or spine or internal bleeding in addition to the multiple fractures he endured.
Dr. Igor Nichiporenko of Delray Medical Center tells reporters at a news conference Monday evening that Bernard Wright was lucky not to have injuries to his brain or spine or internal bleeding in addition to the multiple fractures he endured.

Wright underwent surgeries for serious bone fractures in both legs and his right arm, said Nichiporenko, but escaped injuries to his brain, spine or bleeding in his chest or abdomen ― a "blessing," he added.

"We're hoping for a good recovery, and he is going to have a good recovery," Nichiporenko said, standing in front of Wright's family on Monday night. "We're currently looking into starting physical therapy and working on getting him out of the intensive care unit. And we're looking at a [sure], but slow recovery. … We'll get him there."

The Wright family cheered behind Nichiporenko, praising God.

Jannerral Wright speaks at a news conference Monday about the health of her father, activist and minister Bernard Wright, at Delray Medical Center. "We are happy today," she said.
Jannerral Wright speaks at a news conference Monday about the health of her father, activist and minister Bernard Wright, at Delray Medical Center. "We are happy today," she said.

"We are so happy today," Wright's daughter Jannerral Wright said.

Just days ago, her father had looked ashen and had a "far-off look in his eyes," she said. Now he looks like "his life came back."

"His progress [was] even more when I walked in just now. It is well. All I can say is: But, God."

Wright, the Boynton Beach community activist and former city commission candidate, had just ended a Facebook live stream from the event moments before he was hit.

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Dozens of people came to release balloons at the median of North Federal Highway near Martin Luther King Boulevard, standing shoulder to shoulder to shield their candles from the rain. They watched the car hit Wright.

As the car sped away, Wright began to pray and the people prayed with him.

"Mr. Wright was involved in a horrific accident," Nichiporenko said. "He came to us with multiple orthopedic injuries. He sustained multiple fractures, and he was under trauma care for the last week. As of [Monday], all of his surgeries were completed and they had all good outcomes."

The Boynton Beach Police Department is still looking to identify the driver. Once they do, it could be weeks or months before an arrest happens.

Under state law, prosecutors must prove that a person was behind the wheel at the time of the wreck, even if the vehicle is owned and normally operated by a particular driver. Also, the Florida Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that the state must also show a driver knew they were in a crash.

"It's an accident when you recognize what you've done," Jannerral Wright said. "It's intent when you start covering it up. We have all made mistakes. It's up to him or her. Now that they've found the car, that says a lot when [they] don't come forward."

Lianna Norman covers Northern Palm Beach County for the Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at lnorman@pbpost.com. You can follow her reporting on social media @LiannaNorman on Twitter. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hit-and-run victim at Boynton Beach vigil 'glad he's alive'