Girl loses leg in freak accident on icy road
A young girl from Kent is in critical condition after losing her lower left leg as a result of a bizarre accident on an icy road. The girl also suffered a fractured pelvis, but doctors did manage to save her right right leg.
Sixteen-year-old Victoria Zimmerman was waiting to catch the bus near the intersection of Southeast 256th St. and 125th Pl. in Kent when the unexpected happened. A small SUV driven by an unidentified woman started to spin out down the hill below her.
According to investigators, the driver lost control after hitting a patch of ice as she was going up a hill toward Zimmerman. The 16-year-old had virtually no time to react as she stood on the snow sidewalk.
"The driver lost control, hit the curb, hit her then rolled over," said Kylie Ohashi, spokesman for the Kent Fire Department.
Family members said the accident severed Zimmerman's lower left leg. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
"They are trying to save her right leg which had been punctured as well," said her stepbrother, Mark Zimmerman. He also said his sister lost a lot of blood and has undergone several blood transfusions.
Neighbors believe it was an accident waiting to happen. For two days, Diane Laurila has heard the screech of tires spinning as motorists attempt to climb the small hill near the accident scene.
"It's crazy, there's three-quarters of an inch of ice on the road before the accident," said Laurila.
Laurila, who lives 100 feet from the accident site, complained that she never saw a crew sand the road until after the collision. Southeast 256th Street has become a commuter shortcut, but Laurila believes the city is not treating the road like an important arterial.
"They need to identify the secondary roads and get them dealt with a little bit down from the primary roads, but hopefully at least get them done," said Laurila about the sanding trucks.
Zimmerman was on her way to work when she was hit. The accident is still be investigated, and the driver of the SUV has not been cited.
Zimmerman's family has set up a fund to help pay for her medical expenses at Bank of America locations under her name.
Sixteen-year-old Victoria Zimmerman was waiting to catch the bus near the intersection of Southeast 256th St. and 125th Pl. in Kent when the unexpected happened. A small SUV driven by an unidentified woman started to spin out down the hill below her.
According to investigators, the driver lost control after hitting a patch of ice as she was going up a hill toward Zimmerman. The 16-year-old had virtually no time to react as she stood on the snow sidewalk.
"The driver lost control, hit the curb, hit her then rolled over," said Kylie Ohashi, spokesman for the Kent Fire Department.
Family members said the accident severed Zimmerman's lower left leg. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
"They are trying to save her right leg which had been punctured as well," said her stepbrother, Mark Zimmerman. He also said his sister lost a lot of blood and has undergone several blood transfusions.
Neighbors believe it was an accident waiting to happen. For two days, Diane Laurila has heard the screech of tires spinning as motorists attempt to climb the small hill near the accident scene.
"It's crazy, there's three-quarters of an inch of ice on the road before the accident," said Laurila.
Laurila, who lives 100 feet from the accident site, complained that she never saw a crew sand the road until after the collision. Southeast 256th Street has become a commuter shortcut, but Laurila believes the city is not treating the road like an important arterial.
"They need to identify the secondary roads and get them dealt with a little bit down from the primary roads, but hopefully at least get them done," said Laurila about the sanding trucks.
Zimmerman was on her way to work when she was hit. The accident is still be investigated, and the driver of the SUV has not been cited.
Zimmerman's family has set up a fund to help pay for her medical expenses at Bank of America locations under her name.