It’s hard to imagine being hit by a vehicle traveling 72 mph. And surviving.
But that’s what Christopher Gage did after he was T-boned in a wreck in Cobb County.
As Cage continues to recover from a wreck he wasn’t expected to survive, the woman accused of causing it surrendered Wednesday, two days after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Patricia Evans, 52, of Kennesaw, allegedly ran a red light as she sped through Cobb Parkway and Pete Sailors Parkway shortly before 2 p.m. on May 13, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The posted speed limit in the area is 55 mph, the warrant states.
Marietta police spent several weeks investigating the crash before filing charges, according to Officer David Baldwin.
“There are a lot of measurements and a lot of details and techniques, as well as corroborating witness statements from the scene,” Baldwin said.
Evans was charged with serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving, speeding and violation of a traffic control device. She was released around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday after posting $5,000 bond, booking records show.
At the time of the crash, Gage had almost made it to the Marietta gym where he works as a coach for the Stingrays cheerleading organization. Family members were told Gage might not survive extensive neurological injuries, his cousin, Stephanie Mauthe, said Wednesday night.
Mauthe said her family was prepared to say goodbye to Gage, who was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital after the wreck.
“We’ve gone to church since we were little, so we know there is a higher power than anybody,” Mauthe said.
After days in a coma and weeks in the hospital, Gage recently moved to the Shepherd Center to continue his recovery. Now, cheerleaders are pulling for the popular coach to recover.
A Facebook page serves as a place to update thousands on his progress, and Mauthe said strangers from all over the country are following Gage's progress. His gym is accepting monetary donations to assist with medical costs.
Casey Jones, Cage’s friend and boss, told Channel 2 Action News that the wreck has served as an eye-opener.
“It immediately started to touch people, from the way folks were talking about how they drive and worrying about being on cellphones and texting and driving,” Jones said. “It’s really been an experience that’s touched the lives of so many of our families.”
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