A 17-year-old high school senior from Vancouver, Washington, is suffering from severe injuries, including a skull fracture, three brain bleeds, and a traumatic brain injury, after being thrown from a moving vehicle during a stunt that went horribly wrong.
According to a report from the City of Vancouver, Washington, authorities responded to reports of a person who had fallen out of a vehicle and was injured in a parking lot near 850 SE 192nd Avenue. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found the teen on the ground and transported her to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries. Authorities later determined that the incident involved a dangerous stunt involving two 17-year-old girls.
High School Senior Suffers Severe Brain Injury After Being Flung Out of Car Sunroof In Stunt Gone Wrong
The horrible incident took place on Tuesday, November 3, when authorities made their way to the parking lot at around 8:20 p.m. where they discovered a 17-year-old girl laying on the ground and injured. They later learned that she “was standing in a vehicle through the open sunroof while the driver, also a 17-year-old female, was driving at high speeds through the parking lot.”
The report stated that the driver made a sharp turn, “and the teen that was standing in the vehicle flew out of the sunroof, hitting the pavement.”
According to KGW8, the 17-year-old victim was identified by her mother, Alicha Linares, as high school senior Elexis Robinson. Her mother has since launched a GoFundMe, in which she detailed the extent of her daughter’s injuries: “Our beautiful daughter, Elexis, has suffered a devastating and life-altering traumatic brain injury after being thrown through the sunroof of a vehicle and landing directly on her head. She has sustained a skull fracture, three brain bleeds, and a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).”
Robinson’s mother hopes that donations can be made to help cover her daughter’s mounting medical and rehabilitation expenses. Alongside the fundraiser, she shared a heartbreaking photo of Robinson in the hospital, showing her surrounded by medical equipment, with tubes and IV lines attached to her body.
Mom Struggles With Whether Teen Driver Should Be Held Accountable
Linares spoke with local news station KGW8, where she opened up about her conflicted feelings over whether to pursue punishment against the 17-year-old driver. She explained that her daughter had recently begun spending time with a new friend, a relationship she disapproved of, believing it had contributed to her daughter, an honor roll student, making decisions she otherwise would not have made.
“This girl also made a mistake, too. This is her choice, just as much as it was my daughter’s choice to make a mistake,” Linares told the outlet. “I want her to learn the consequences of this, but she is a 17-year-old girl as well, and to have her life completely ruined and destroyed, I don’t need two lives like that. I don’t.”
Linares also shared that it would be a long road to recovery for Robinson, who, at times, struggles to even remember her name. Doctors informed the mom that it “could take six months to a year before they have a clearer picture of her daughter’s long-term prognosis.”
Teen Girl Suffers Severe Brain Injury After Parking Lot Stunt Goes Horribly Wrong