Hit & Run Accident

On early Saturday morning, April 14th, my sister, Jennifer, was driving home and was involved in a serious hit & run accident. The driver ran a red light and t-boned her, causing both the front and rear passenger airbags to deploy. There are many things she is grateful for regarding the circumstances of the crash: one, her kids or husband weren’t in the car with her; two, she was hit on the passenger side, because if it had been the driver’s side her injuries could have been worse; and three, since she was in a truck and a sedan hit her, being seated higher up also helped to prevent even more serious injuries. However, even though she is very grateful that things weren’t worse, she is also in very rough shape.

She was taken to the ER after the accident via ambulance, and because she and Robert only had one car, he couldn’t come join her at the hospital, so she ended up having to take an Uber home once they released her. She’s had two more follow-up doctor’s appointments and is awaiting her appointment with a back pain specialist next week. She’s been bedridden and on pain medications since the accident, having to decide between being in severe pain but awake to see her daughters, or being comfortable physically but being asleep the vast majority of the time.

And it’s overwhelming because this is all just the beginning. She’s going to need physical therapy to regain her ability to do simple fun things like sit on the ground with her daughters and play, let alone get back to the exercise routine she had been keeping up religiously. Her pain has gotten progressively worse each day rather than better, and having two sweet girls under 2 is making this process extremely hard on their family. Not being able to lift her toddler off the ground is crushing her as a mama. (I know all of you mamas out there can relate). So, all that to say, being in this much pain has Jennifer in a really rough spot, all of course by no fault of her own.

Although there is never a “good” time to be involved in a hit & run, the timing for this was far from ideal. Aside from happening one day before her husband’s birthday, and six days before their anniversary, this is also happening amidst a big transition for them, with a physical move happening at the end of the month, and Jennifer in the middle of a career change. The temporary career move she was planning to make will now be off the table due to the injuries she sustained. They are also now going to need to hire packers in order to move, since she won’t be able to help Robert with packing. Robert is a full-time student and works full-time, so on top of trying to stay on top of everything that comes with managing a household, getting ready to move, talking to insurance adjusters and police officers, he’s trying to stay on top of his schoolwork and finish this semester strong. So, now without Jennifer able to bring in an income currently, frankly, it’s just the last thing they want to be worrying about, but of course it’s a pretty high priority due to all the circumstances.

Lastly, luckily Jennifer was able to get the license plate number of the guy as he was fleeing the scene, so the police have a suspect that will be held liable. So, the man who did this, with absolutely no regard for her safety, not caring at all if she could’ve been taken from her husband and little girls far too soon, will be brought to justice. I know that helps bring them some peace, even if it can’t undo the repercussions of this terrible accident. Our goal is really just to help them get over this hump of being in such a big transition, and Jennifer not being able to work, and get them the help they need to get through this. Thank you so much in advance for sharing this and donating, everyone! Be kind.