A young woman who was seriously injured in a car accident attributed to road rage is slowly continuing to recover, despite her struggle to afford her extensive medical treatment. Although the accident was caused by the actions of an angry driver, she says the love and support she’s gotten from her community has helped her maintain a positive and hopeful outlook.
The September car accident in South Charlotte, North Carolina, nearly took the 21-year-old student’s life. Although she has little recollection of the incident, witnesses say that a man driving an SUV appeared to deliberately run into the woman’s car, forcing it off Interstate 485 and into a tree. The accident left her with broken ribs, both lungs punctured and damage to her carotid artery. She also suffered a traumatic brain injury and a serious stroke. Although she is able to walk without a problem, she’s regained only partial use of her arms and has significant cognitive problems.
Since the accident, her family, friends and the surrounding community have rallied around the young woman, helping her with everyday tasks and holding fundraisers to pay for her medical expenses. Her aunt has also been selling homemade bracelets to raise money for her. Those fundraising efforts are the only financial assistance she has, as long as police continue to search for the driver who caused the accident. Her insurance company won’t cover her expenses because the accident is considered a hit-and-run. And while she’s infinitely grateful for the financial support, her medical bills continue to mount.
Finding the other driver in the accident would allow the woman and her family to pursue a personal injury lawsuit, which if successful, could both alleviate her tremendous financial burden and provide some answers to the question of why she ended up with injuries that may have changed her life forever.
Source: South Charlotte News, “CPCC student may have been road rage victim,” Marty Minchin, Nov. 16, 2012
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