A Vancouver Island woman is well enough to return home after getting run over twice by the same driver in Santa Monica nearly two weeks ago.
Lynn Phillips has been recovering in Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles since June 13, when she suffered extensive injuries in the accident that will require several more surgeries to repair.
Paul Ke, who works with Phillips at an automotive marketing firm called Absolute Results and is speaking on behalf of the family, said Wednesday she’s due to be airlifted to a hospital in Victoria on Thursday, where she will continue her recovery.
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“She’s in good spirits, but it’s been hard on her,” he told Global News.
Santa Monica police have confirmed a serious accident happened in the intersection of Colorado Ave. and Second Street shortly after 9 p.m. on June 13.
Ke said Phillips was in the area with some girlfriends at the start of what was meant to be a girls’ weekend in California.
According to a collision summary, the driver waited for three pedestrians to cross in front of him against a “don’t walk” signal before making a right turn.
As the driver made the turn, witnesses told police a woman tripped and fell into the car’s path, getting run over by the front tires.
Police said someone screamed out not to back up, but the driver “in a moment of uncertainty” backed up anyways and felt another bump under the front of the vehicle.
Ke said Phillips, who is in her 50s, sustained multiple broken ribs, a broken arm and collarbone, internal bleeding and a collapsed lung.
She was hooked up to a ventilator and a breathing tube, which were removed on June 16.
It wasn’t until Saturday when Phillips was finally transferred out of the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Ke set up a GoFundMe to raise donations that will help Phillips’ family with medical expenses. As of Wednesday, the campaign had raised more than $47,000.
As he waits for the chance to see his good friend in person after days of anxious waiting, Ke said he’s just thankful Phillips appears to be on the mend.
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“She’s very generous, a good person and just full of life,” he said. “To see this happen to her has been hard, because she’s such an active and energetic person.”
Ke said he just wanted to do something to help while the family awaits insurance payments. Other options, including potential legal action, are also on the table, Ke said.
“She’s done so much for local charities and causes, and she’s touched so many co-workers and people through her training,” he said.
He explained Phillips, who is single and will have to rely on care from her sister and extended family, works as a trainer at Absolute Results, meaning she’s had a helping hand in many people’s marketing careers.
“If you go through the donations, almost all of them are from people she’s worked with or have been impacted by her,” he said. “It’s amazing to see how many people are reaching out through this.”
Santa Monica police say the driver did not appear to be impaired by alcohol or drugs, and is cooperating in the investigation.
Ke is just hopeful Phillips can make a full recovery, and is confident the money his campaign has raised will go a long way.
“You just never know when something like this can happen to someone you care about,” he said. “Anything I can do, I want to do.”
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