A 14-year-old Illinois girl recently returned to school after recovering from a severe car accident which left every bone in her face broken. The girl and some friends were walking home from a Minooka ice cream shop last October when the girl was hit by another teen in a SUV.
The Channahon teen driver did not have a license and his mother has been cited for allowing an authorized person to drive.
“This accident never should have happened and was entirely preventable because the driver never should have been on the road in the first place,” the family’s attorney said, adding that the teen girl “was a happy, normal 14-year-old girl but her entire life changed in a split second because of these poor decisions. She now has to live with those consequences for the rest of her life.”
When injured girl’s mother arrived at the accident scene she saw her daughter with a severe gash across her head, exposing part of her skull. The impact of the car sent her flying into a guard rail, which made doctors suspect that she would suffer permanent neck and spine injuries.
“The right side of her body was all black and blue,” the mother said. “I wouldn’t wish having to see your child that way on any parent.”
The teen’s recovery was aided by schools in her community which participated in several fundraising drives to help pay her medical bills. She has returned to school part-time but continues to suffer migraines and has short-term memory loss from her traumatic brain injury. This makes learning difficult for the former straight-A student.
This accident highlights the long-term repercussions of a serious brain injury. It is unknown whether the teen’s injuries will be permanent or impact her academic success in the future.