JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The family of a Jacksonville woman said Thursday that their loved one is receiving intensive care after she was hit by an SUV while trying to fix a flat tire on the side of the Mathews Bridge.
The crash happened Tuesday morning, when much of the Jacksonville area was covered in dense fog.
Denay Jossey’s sisters said she’s gone through two surgeries and had another scheduled for Friday morning. The 20-year-old also has head trauma, and her relatives are aware it will be a long recovery process.
Junnette Goodman is thankful her sister is alive.
“She has a heart of pure gold,” Goodman said. “She would help anybody no questions asked. She would stop anything she was doing to come to anyone’s rescue.”
The family said Jossey pulled over when she realized she had a flat. Investigators said she was standing beside her vehicle when a white GMC hit her and her car.
“Right now, the doctors are trying to see if they can salvage her leg,” Goodman said. “She has fractures going down from her knee all the way down to her foot.”
Jossey’s sisters said there is a 70% chance her leg will have to be amputated.
Investigators said four other friends at the scene were not physically hurt. The report says the 31-year-old driver who hit Jossey was also taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
“I feel like it was a very sad situation for everyone involved, but at the same time, people have to be held accountable for their actions,” said Quandra Highpower, Jossey’s sister.
The driver involved was cited. According to the crash report, investigators said he was driving too fast for the conditions.
“I think that people need to be mindful that cars are really deadly weapons,” Highpower said.
Jossey’s family said the driver who hit her did not have insurance. They’ve created a GoFundMe to raise money for medical expenses.