A Jacksonville family is in mourning after Shantel Patrice Ennis, a 29-year-old mother of seven, was tragically killed in a crash on Riverside Avenue near the Acosta Bridge last week.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Ennis’s fiancé, Michael Fulmore, was driving when the car struck a barrier just before noon on Sunday, May 25. Both Fulmore and the couple’s 1-year-old child were rushed to the hospital. Ennis, however, did not survive the crash.
“She was so beautiful, I called her China doll,” said Pastor Jerome Sales, who raised Ennis after the loss of her biological father. “I don’t think I could have had a biological daughter that would have did more and been there for me more than she was.”
Ennis immediately became part of the Sales family after being taken in, calling Pastor Sales “dad” from the very beginning. He says he was there for many of her life’s biggest moments — from learning to drive to witnessing the birth of her first child.
“That was a gift my daughter gave me, to see life enter into this world,” he said.
What began as a joyful Sunday, with Sales preaching at Oracles of God Church, ended in heartbreak.
“To wake up with a praise in your heart and go to church thinking everything’s going to be fine, and then to get out of church and everything is turned upside down, it’s just phenomenal,” he said. “When the officer tells you, ‘can we go inside and talk,’ they’re not giving good news.”
Fulmore, still recovering from the crash, recalled the moment he woke up inside the wreckage.
“I was knocked out. The cops woke me up and gathered me out the car and I’m tapping her trying to wake her up,” he said, overcome with emotion. “I dread the fact that the kids are not going to have their mom, and I lost my fiancé. I’ve cried every tear I can cry.”
Fulmore remembers Ennis as a vibrant woman full of joy:
“She jumped on the table and started dancing, and I was looking up at the table like, I’m gonna marry this girl. She’s always been like a breath of fresh air.”
Now, the family is relying on their faith to carry them through this devastating loss.
“My message yesterday was ‘Hidden power in your storm,’” Pastor Sales shared. “We’re going through a tremendous storm right now and we have to rely on God to get us through.”
Their focus now turns to the future of Ennis’s seven children — keeping them together and honoring her memory.
The family says support from the Jacksonville community has already begun pouring in. Donations can be dropped off at 8967 Lem Turner Rd. during Sunday services at 9:30 a.m., and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. Those who wish to help can also call 904-882-0549 for more information.
In addition, Ennis’s mother has launched a GoFundMe page to help support the family and provide for the children left behind.
