Cliff’s accident
Posted by finch
My Dads Accident
A little over 2 years ago my father started acting very out of the ordinary, very strange. My dad is my childhood hero and I have a great respect for him. My friends call him perma-grin because he was always smiling. He had no criminal history, but in mid September something went haywire in his brain and he lost all sense of reality. To him everything was normal and “The rest of the world was just acting crazy!” He felt threatened and the day of the accident he started carrying around a gun.
Due to the stress he was putting on the family, I did a last minute 8 hour round trip to Fresno to see if I could help my father in any way before I headed to Europe for 3 weeks. After sitting down with him for 4 hours I realized there was nothing I could do and I told my wife that it was going to end up in the hands of the police. Cliff was doing things that are just not acceptable in our society and for good reason.
My wife had just met me in France for a week vacation after I had just competed in Switzerland. She had been on the ground for about 5 hours when I received a text saying, “emergency! Call now!” I knew instantly something bad happened with my father, but never could have imagined what I was about to find out.
I called my mom who could barely talk. She told me my father had been shot 6 to 8 times and docs didn’t think he was going to make it. This call was right when I was about to go to bed. Well no flights were leaving till morning, so my wife and I just started praying. The next morning with no sleep God gave me a peace that I would see my father again alive, if only for a moment. I was strangely calm as we bought new plane tickets home on the first possible flight. Family picked us up in SF and drove us straight to the hospital in Fresno. The first thing they told me in SF was that my father had opened his eyes. On the drive down I got the whole story.
Cliff had gone to my uncle’s house looking for my mom, but was in a very angry mood. He brandished his 9 mm as he searched aggressively through the house. My uncle frightened by what my father might do, called the police. When the police tried to pull him over, they were led down a high-speed chase down a main street in Fresno. The Police did a P.I.T. maneuver and put him into a ditch. Approaching his car, two shots came from my dad’s vehicle, than 18 rounds were returned into my father’s truck. Police pulled him from the vehicle and had to revive him 5 times. No one besides my dad was hurt in anyway except a dent in the police vehicle that spun out Cliff’s truck. That was miracle number one!
When I finally saw my dad, at I can’t remember what time of night, I could barley recognize him. There were multiple bullet wounds to his face and everything was swollen. A sheriff sat next to my unconscious father while he was chained to the bed. That was quite possibly the hardest thing for me, seeing my father treated as a criminal.
Still not knowing if he would make it, we started praying like never before, as did everyone that heard about it, which was a lot of people as this was a high profile accident, with the news covering every detail.
I’ll try to make this short, but there was so much stacked against my father and our family. I want you to try and realize why my faith in God is more secure then ever before! First thing we prayed for was for Cliff to survive. As vital signs stabilized we prayed for him to be able to breath on his own. 2 weeks after his accident, I put a prayer vigil together with only a 24-hour notice. 200 people showed up on the front lawn of the Hospital in a dangerous part of Fresno and the hospital was nervous because it was sketchy at night. The next day he could breath on his own. Miracle 3 was when he could talk. Who would cover the medical bills, which would bankrupt my parents? Would he ever walk again? Who would defend my father in court, which could also bankrupt my parents! Bail was set at 2.2 million dollars. Was he paralyzed? Was his brain damaged from the bullets to his head? Nothing was moving, fingers, toes or arms. Stood him up the first time 4 months out. He lived off a feeding tube for 6 months. Was his mental illness still present? Without my dad, my parents had no substantial way to make money. 2 weeks after the hospital released my father, my mother went into the hospital for a mastectomy and lung surgery, that I am for sure was a result of the stress from the accident. Chemo and radiation would follow for the next 6 months. Now she could not take care of herself, my dad or run the business. Fully had to surrender. Amber and I were newly weds and it was a hard way to start our new marriage. Cliff was facing life in prison with two counts of attempted murder on a peace officer, two counts of assault and one count of evading the police. It would take 10 pages to tell you how everything worked out, but believe me when I tell you it was a true miracle that only God could have orchestrated.
Dads Injuries- hit by 7 bullets, 3 in the head (all missing his brain), one bullet thru his jaw, another through his cheek and hitting his ear drum, another lodged in his C1 of his brainstem and stopped against his spinal cord. YES, a bullet stopped against his spinal cord! Try and tell me that’s not a miracle! Such a dangerous zone that the doctors wouldn’t risk removing it. One bullet in his left elbow, two in his right elbow, both blown to pieces, and another in his stomach/ lower back. Was completely paralyzed for a long time.
Outcome- elbows fused, right leg barely works, left leg his only good limb, left arm works ok, right arm doesn’t work (used to be right handed). Deaf in right ear. Mental illness under control with medication. Mom got cleared of cancer a year later. Between the state and my dad’s purple heart (VA hospital) most bills and court fees were covered. Business still eaking by. Court stuff- took two years in court, court gave my father 5 years probation and 200 hours of community service and $5,000 in damages. I prayed for justice knowing God is a just God and that might mean my father spending the rest of his life in jail.
God put on my heart a week after that accident that he would snowboard again even with everything he faced. It is a miracle to watch my father snowboard again! Keep the faith!
http://topiaryzoo.com/
January 21st, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Hey Andy
That is inspiring. I have often wondered how it all went. Great to see that out of this tragedy that the strength of you and your family, and your dad of course, prevailed.
Sue
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Hey Andy, when you’re ready to share your “father son” story..I want to help. I am a producer for Trinity Broadcasting Network and want to help provide the vehicle to share the story with the world.
What an awesome God we serve. My family will be praying for the snow team in Vancouver.
Forget the Gold…do it for GOD!
ok..don’t forget the gold..but you get what I mean.
January 27th, 2010 at 1:31 am
Saw your mom today. I received such a blessing from her spirit. Came home and shared with the family. Kody said well come read and watch Cliff ride. Got doubly blessed. Couldn’t help but cry when I saw Cliff boarding. Thank you for sharing the story in your own words. I was glad when Michael was able to make it out to the hospital that night to pray. The family was hit with so many things and yet at every turn God was there. So many miracles. We will continue to pray for the family as we know the road ahead still holds obstacles. God is good.
January 27th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
I remember you and Buster playing in the backyard when we lived next door to you. You are an amazing young man. I’m so proud of you. We have prayed over the years for you dad, mom and you. Vera(my sister) keeps me up to date on all that is going on. Give my love to your dad and mom. May God continue to bless you all.
January 29th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Andy!!!
I was SO excited to get to watch that video of you and your dad boarding!!! You and Your family has been in my prayers since the day of the accident. GOD IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!
Katie
January 29th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
I am so glad to hear that your Dad is doing well! I remember that smile of his! I had no idea that your mom had her own fight going on…..You are an incredible family!!
Love to all of you,
Robin
February 8th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
WOW! That is so encouraging! Keeping your family in prayer!
it was really great to finally meet you and Amber.
Blessings!
Chad
February 12th, 2010 at 10:02 am
living in fresno and working at table mountain casino 2005 – 2007 i passed your family business in friant everyday – loved the snowboarder topiary – i remeber the 2006 olympics all the excitement around andy finch and then the tragedy with cliff. I was shocked with everyone else – i moved from fresno in 2008 now living in norther ca and with the 2010 olympics i thought about what happened with the finch family – SO HAPPY to have found that all is good. God Bless You ALL
February 13th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Hallelujah!
February 15th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Hey, I’m a boarder from Scotland, just stopped by your site to see what you were up to. When I read this, I was completely blown away. Your unswerving faith in God in surely the toughest of circumstances is truly inspiring. I will be praying for you and your family. May the lord bless you.
February 17th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Yeah Marky, thanks for stopping by the site. You ever do any surfing in your parts?
Andy
February 19th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Hey Andy,
You signed a autograph for our Daughter and Friend last spring 2009 at Sierra Summit. That was impressive you took the time and she really appreciated now having your poster in her bedroom at home in Santa Cruz. Thanks for that. After reading this post all I can say is “wow” as it reads more of a movie script then something that happened. What a remarkable journey. Keep the faith Andy as this was a very impressive recap on something we knew little about!
All the best,
The Hushaw’s
February 20th, 2010 at 12:14 am
That is awesome you guys live in Santa Cruz. You’ll have to catch a wave for me as I am deep into winter, but look forward to getting some waves of my own in a few months. Stoked you guys made it to Summit last season and I got to meet your daughter.
You mentioned keeping the faith, that phrase takes on a new meaning for me now! Any time I get weary, I remember what God carried my father through.
Thanks,
Andy
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:15 pm
That’s perfect Andy. We’ll be watching and looking forward to your continued ascent! PS. I got that image of you hucking off the face at Sierra Summit with a sling on. If you want any of those images just email me and I will send them over. How you can did that with one arm was simply solid.
March 8th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Hey Andy! I was your dad’s PT at the VA…absolutley amazing to watch that video! So proud of you Cliff!
March 15th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Yeah Kristen, thanks so much for your hard work with my Father! I appreciate it so much.
Andy
April 7th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Hey Andy,
That is an incredible story. I heard about it a few years ago when it happened and am so happy to see what in amazing outcome occured. Looks like life has been treating you well and congrats on the marriage.
April 15th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Andy, I was so excited to see that your Dad is doing well. Miracles are happening every day, we just have to slow down enough to see them. Not to forget that God works ALL things out for the good of his purposes. Keep living it for him!
P.S. I may be in Tahoe on the 23rd and 24th. Want to make some turns?
P.S.S. Simon says hey!
May 27th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Hey Andy,
I stumbled upon your site (as I was searching for info regarding your Dad’s accident) and am so glad I did. I plan to share this story of your unwavering faith amidst tragic circumstances with my 16 year old son (who happens to love snowboarding!). You’re a great role model Andy….thank you! You’re parents too….are great role models! I happen to go to church with them, and I love to see them as they always have a beautiful spirit and a kind smile share. I’m inspired every time I witness the love your Mom has for your Dad, and how she moves through the “stuff” of life with grace and humility. And your Dad’s faithfulness and determination is such an encouragement to me as I see him live out a God honoring life amidst challenges that could have easily defeated him. Your story (or should I say God’s story through you) is one worthy of sharing as it is a story of hope and victory through Jesus Christ, amidst the really hard stuff of life. You and your family will continue to be in my prayers Andy.