Friends rally for woman abandoned after motorcycle crash
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PUYALLUP, Wash. - There are a lot of Saturday car washes for a lot of good causes. But one held this Saturday in Puyallup is personal. It's for Jessica Anderson.
Friends rallied today for the young woman who police say was left behind after a motorcycle crash about three weeks ago in Tacoma.
Jessica Anderson spent more than two weeks in a coma after the crash - and still has a long, costly recovery ahead.
Kay Vick stopped by the car wash on Saturday to make a donation.
"It's very important to support Jessica - make sure she gets well, back on her feet," Vick says.
Police say 22-year-old Jessica Anderson was riding on a motorcycle driven by a friend when it crashed in Tacoma in the early morning hours of July 27. Jessica was critically hurt in the crash, but investigators say the friend got back on the bike and rode away, leaving her behind.
"For somebody to physically walk away - drive away in this case - and leave another human being there. ... I struggle with that," says Dale Anderson, Jessica's father.
He says his daughter just came out of a coma four days ago.
"There's a lot of broken things, so there is a lot of discomfort for her. But she's moving forward each day - we're seeing wonderful strides," says Dale Anderson.
And her friends are helping by washing cars to raise money for her therapy.
"Should have never happened to her," says Pat Roberts, a friend of Jessica's. "Out of anybody ... a smart, wonderful, fantastic girl. Should never have happened to her."
Another friend, Jennifer Bankston, says, "That someone that she knew could actually do that. Someone that she trusts could just leave her there. But thankfully he's been arrested and is being charged and is getting what he has coming to he for what he did to her."
Jessica's father says it's still to early to know if she will have any permanent injuries from the crash.
Thanks in part to a huge social media campaign, Saturday's car wash was a huge success.
"Within the first half hour we got $200," says another friend, Christine Markum. "People were here even before we got here."
Even people who never met Jessica rolled up.
Anthony Salvatore was one of them. "I'm from Puyallup. Figured it's a good thing to do," he says.
"It gives me faith I guess in the grand picture. It gives me faith in us as humans," says Jessica's father.
Friends rallied today for the young woman who police say was left behind after a motorcycle crash about three weeks ago in Tacoma.
Jessica Anderson spent more than two weeks in a coma after the crash - and still has a long, costly recovery ahead.
Kay Vick stopped by the car wash on Saturday to make a donation.
"It's very important to support Jessica - make sure she gets well, back on her feet," Vick says.
Police say 22-year-old Jessica Anderson was riding on a motorcycle driven by a friend when it crashed in Tacoma in the early morning hours of July 27. Jessica was critically hurt in the crash, but investigators say the friend got back on the bike and rode away, leaving her behind.
"For somebody to physically walk away - drive away in this case - and leave another human being there. ... I struggle with that," says Dale Anderson, Jessica's father.
He says his daughter just came out of a coma four days ago.
"There's a lot of broken things, so there is a lot of discomfort for her. But she's moving forward each day - we're seeing wonderful strides," says Dale Anderson.
And her friends are helping by washing cars to raise money for her therapy.
"Should have never happened to her," says Pat Roberts, a friend of Jessica's. "Out of anybody ... a smart, wonderful, fantastic girl. Should never have happened to her."
Another friend, Jennifer Bankston, says, "That someone that she knew could actually do that. Someone that she trusts could just leave her there. But thankfully he's been arrested and is being charged and is getting what he has coming to he for what he did to her."
Jessica's father says it's still to early to know if she will have any permanent injuries from the crash.
Thanks in part to a huge social media campaign, Saturday's car wash was a huge success.
"Within the first half hour we got $200," says another friend, Christine Markum. "People were here even before we got here."
Even people who never met Jessica rolled up.
Anthony Salvatore was one of them. "I'm from Puyallup. Figured it's a good thing to do," he says.
"It gives me faith I guess in the grand picture. It gives me faith in us as humans," says Jessica's father.
thank you to everyone!!!! means more than you all know to watch this and read the comments 10months later
Jessica I don't know you but good luck and get well soon
I bet he had a arrest warrant on him
man likt that who needs enemy
Jessica Anderson was riding on the back of the motorcycle driven by her friend Philip Mack.
Some friend.
The guy who abandoned her was probably driving drunk or something. Why else would he flee?Â
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And IF, IF, that is true, she needs to take some responsibility for getting on a motorcycle with an intoxicated driver.Â
 @caphillkid are you kidding me?Â
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No he always makes dumb comments like that.
 @caphillkid I am so glad your not my friend!.....None of my friends would EVER do this!
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I saw this on the news last night a could not believe her "friend" would just abandon her!
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Here is to hoping and praying she fully recovers from this ordeal.
"Coming to he"Â
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OMG, like, for real, our kidz need2learn grammers
 @caphillkid I hope you don't mean grammer the way you use it... "OMG, like, for real, our kidz need2learn grammers" ...well, perhaps you could go back to school and learn some yourself first before laughing at the misspellings of others!
Some friend...
I imagine Jessica will carefully re-evaluate exactly who her 'friends' are after this horror. Personally, I'd track down that 'friend' on the motor bike... THAT friend would need to watch the shadows forever.
A young woman injured and left to die. Nice friend....NOT! I wish the law would allow public stoning, I would be there to support that :)Â
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Hope Jessica makes a strong come back! My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family.
It would be cool if they provided follow up details. The earlier article said alcohol was involved. Was she drinking too or just the driver? Did she know he had been drinking when she got on the bike? Those details seem critical to the story especially since people are opening their pocket books to offer help.
 @nomad whether or not there was drinking involved, still doesn't excuse her "friend" or what have you from fleeing the scene and leaving her there to die. If anything bad judgement on her part, but it doesn't necessarily mean she deserves to suffer, or that people shouldn't want to help her. She's still a person. It's easy to help people when you deem them worthy. Helping her regardless, will possibly make her re-evaluate her decisions, and make better choices in the future. I don't think there's anyone in the world who hasn't make at least one or two bad choices in their life, it doesn't make someone undeserving of compassion or humane acts of kindness.
@Linda Kasza thank you
 @nomad Why do we need to know that? If there was alcohol involved, are they less deserving of help?
@poolwench @nomad I hate to sound like a prick but its pretty dumb to drive a car drunk or ride with a drunk driver in a car muchless on a bike if they were both in fact drinking & on a bike then they deseve no help whatsoever poolwinch NONE stupid is as stupid does & as a drunk myself I would walk before rideing on the back with someone else thats drunk thats suicide wiyhout the note
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 @Jason  @poolwench  @nomad Jason, as a fellow drunk, I myself wouldn't ever get on a bike with anyone I thought was impaired, but my point was that all human beings are deserving of help if you've just arrived on the scene or whatever. Even if booze is involved, it's still a person  who's injured. I totally agree with Anarchy. Cheers!
@poolwench @nomad because if she got on the back of a motorcycle while she'd been drinking or drove with someone she knew was drunk, I'd have a whole lot less sympathy for her and wouldn't donate to the cause.Â
@Anarchy @nomad If she was drunk and the driver was drunk and they MURDERED innocent people in this accident would you have sympathy? Of course alcohol plays a huge factor and so does responsibility. I would never want to see anyone hurt either drunk or not but I would reconsider donating under certian circumstances and that doesnt make people less sympathic, it makes the person who was drinking take responsibility for their actions.Â
The term "drink responsibly" comes to mind....You can't use the "I was drinking and didn't think about my actions" when you get behind the wheel and drive, why would that be any different if you choose to ride with someone who is drunk? If youâre going to drink you still have to make responsible choices or you probably shouldn't be drinking in the first place (or not drink as much).
 @nomad  If she was drinking her judgment may have been impaired. He could've told her he was fine to drive and how could she tell? So because of that, she doesn't deserve help? And if she had been raped, I suppose you wouldn't help her if she had been wearing a mini skirt. You sound really compassionate.Â
Nice friend leaving her behind, is he being prosecuted for attempted murder?
 @Commonsense Unless the dude threw her off the bike no way, if she died they could charge him with manslaughter.
Have they hung the so-called friend yet? Â What a _______________!
wow, I can hardly believe someone would walk away. why do the call him friend
I'm sorry to say this but people need to take responsibility for who they associate with. I know for a fact that none of my friends would leave me behind in an accident. I mean I feel bad for her but I'm not going to break out the checkbook. There are so many people that need help that didn't bring their situation upon themselves. I have a buddy that has cancer and 3 young kids. He can't work and his wife just passed away. I would much rather donate to someone like that. Moral of the story, don't jump on someone's bike that you don't know real well.Â
 @FremontTroll Sometimes you don't see a person's true colors until the stuff hits the fan. That doesn't mean it was her fault for not properly vetting her friend. Feel free to sit there and act all high and mighty now, but I'd bet the farm that at least one person you call a friend would sell you down the river in a panic as soon as something bad happened. Who knows how long she knew this person or how well anyone else in her circle knows him? That was not covered in this article. Yes the truth can be ugly, but you sir/madam are the one acting ugly and making ASSumptions right now.
 @FremontTroll If your "sorry to say this" then keep the comments to yourself. There are plenty of family and friends who are helping out in every way possible that know and love Jess. No one is forcing you to "break out the checkbook". If you would like to donate to your friend and his children that's your choice, just like it's our choice to help out Jess.
@FremontTroll At least you picked an appropriate name. Remember what mommy told you. If you can't say something nice then STFUL
 @Thyroid  @FremontTroll Sorry, sometimes the truth is hard for people to take.Â
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 @donner  @tufa23 @ Tufa23. you do realize they're calling them "troll" because of their appropriate screen name?Â
 @tufa23 can we all stop with the name calling? Grow up a little.
 @FremontTroll  Here's some truth for you. Blaming the victim doesn't fly here, troll.
I had a good friend who was in a bad accident when she was this age. She was quite broken up, in a coma for a couple weeks, woke up to brain damage and having to relearn who she was, how to walk, talk,etc. But now a couple decades later she has a wonderful family and is healthy and happy and has a great career. It was a long road but she recovered quite well. I have high hopes the same will happen for this woman.
I wonder if she knew he was a loser before she got on the bike with him?
 @Hehateme Judging from his Facebook page, she could have easily. But a lot of women like people who treat them badly (for some reason).
Guess what douches do? This article.
Would people do the same if it was the other way around? I doubt it
 @hyperthrow What other way around?
 @fyrefawx  @hyperthrow Really? Good lord.
 @Zoso You could, but that would be an infinite loop and someone might die.
 @hyperthrow "Did you really need to ask the question then?" I could probably ask you the same question.
 @fyrefawx Man, neither did I. It's so hard to keep track sometimes.
 @fyrefawx Did you really need to ask the question then?
 @hyperthrow The only other way around would be if he was hurt and she left him and the intimation that good Samaritans wouldn't stop and help if it were a man was so preposterous I didn't even bother to entertain it. Â