More than a week after being injured in a fiery crash that killed a 17-year-old girl, a 16-year-old driver remains in the hospital after undergoing several major surgeries.
Her road to recovery is long, but the east Cobb County community, her high school and a fast food restaurant are combining forces to help make that journey a little easier, Channel 2 Action News reported.
A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $20,000 for the Lassiter High School student who was seriously injured in the Jan. 12 crash. The girl's parents told Channel 2 they wanted to identify their daughter only as Emily.
The wreck, which happened on Jamerson Road, killed 17-year-old Kayleigh Neste, who attended Kell High School, AJC.com previously reported.
RELATED: 17-year-old Cobb student killed in fiery crash with another teen driver
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Investigators believe Neste lost control of her Nissan sports car while traveling west on the road, crossing into eastbound traffic. The teen then hit Emily’s Kia Forte head-on, causing the Nissan to burst into flames.
Bystanders were able to pull Neste out of the burning vehicle in addition to pushing Emily’s Kia away from the flames, Cobb police spokeswoman Sydney Melton said. Firefighters were able to rescue Emily, who was trapped inside the vehicle.
Emily was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries. She’s now stable and is “looking 100 times better,” according to the GoFundMe page.
In addition to that fundraiser, Zaxby’s on Sandy Plains Road is donating 10% of its sales Tuesday to help pay off Emily’s medical bills, the restaurant’s owner told Channel 2.
“It’s a tragedy, and we’re glad to be able to step up and do what we can do,” the owner, Dustin Mullis, said. “Emily actually worked for us very short term in the dining room helping with face painting, so we’re glad to be able to help.”
As of Tuesday night, it’s unclear how much money was raised by the restaurant.
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