Toyota dealer donates van to paralyzed shooting victim

Published in Automotive News on August 6th, 2024

A Toyota dealership in Alabama donated a $100,000 accessible van to a woman who was paralyzed when she got caught in the crossfire of a highway shootout in Montgomery.

Toyota of Montgomery presented the van to Amy Dicks on Aug. 5 as she returned home after months of treatment and rehabilitation in Atlanta.

Dicks, 43, was driving to work and stopped at a red light in her Lexus when people in two nearby vehicles began shooting at each other. One of the bullets struck her spine, paralyzing her from the chest down.

"We are profoundly touched by Amy Dicks' strength and courage," Brett Sutherlin, CEO of Sutherlin Automotive Group, said in a statement. "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."

Sutherlin said he was moved by Dicks' resilience while visiting her in the hospital and offered to cover the cost of helping her become mobile and independent again. Family and friends had organized several fundraisers to help pay for a van and modifications to her home.

Police, with the help of a $15,000 reward, arrested five people more than a month after the shooting.

"Through this tragedy there have been many people who have truly blessed us!!" Dicks wrote on Facebook. "Two of those are Brett Sutherlin and Toyota of Montgomery. Brett and Toyota have donated [to] our family a fully handicapped accessible van, so that I am able to get back to a normal routine! This is truly a Godsend."