Police in Oregon have a person of interest as they investigate a hit-and-run accident that left a 20-year-old woman in critical condition.
Reports indicate that the young woman was driving in a Toyota Camry. Coming the opposite direction was a 1999 Ford Explorer. That large SUV then crossed into her lane and hit the Camry head-on. Pictures from the scene show that the smaller car is completely mangled, an unrecognizable tangle of metal.
Medical crews responded to the scene and rushed the girl to a nearby hospital. She survived the accident but remains in critical condition with an incredibly long road to recovery ahead of her.
The emergency crews could not initially find the other driver. That person got out of the Explorer and ran off on foot. Witnesses did say it was a man who also looked to be in his 20s.
However, a man’s girlfriend then called the authorities and said that her boyfriend was at his residence, that he’d been hurt in an accident and that he needed to be taken to the hospital. The type of injuries tipped off police that he may have been the hit-and-run driver.
A police officer responded with the ambulance to pick him up, and he tried to run. The officer stopped him. He was then taken to the hospital for treatment, and the investigation is ongoing.
A portion of the young woman’s skull had to be removed due to swelling in her brain. She has shown some signs of movement, but the family still doesn’t know how bad that brain damage is.
Devastating accidents like this can lead to incredible medical bills. It’s important for family members and those who are injured to know what rights they have to financial compensation.
Source: KOIN, “‘Person of interest’ in critical crash identified,” Eileen Park, Oct. 19, 2017
