DAYTON, Ohio (WHIO) – A 9-year-old Ohio girl is still adjusting to losing her leg months after she was hit and dragged by an allegedly drunken driver while riding her bicycle.
In July, a family’s quick trip for milk turned into one of the worst nights of their lives. Ashley Escalante, 9, was riding her bike when she was hit by a Hummer and dragged down the street for about half a mile. Her injuries were so bad one of her legs had to be amputated.
Ashley is now sharing her story after being released from the hospital. She remembers the night the crash happened well.
“I remember seeing how – my leg bleeding a lot, and I remember a police that had red hair,” Ashley said.
The 9-year-old says she’s grateful for the woman who ran into the street and moved her out of the road as well as the team of hospital staff that helped her.
“It’s been very hard to recover, but I’m very grateful for the therapists that have been helping me,” Ashley said.
Her mother, Mayra Martinez, has been staying home with her daughter as she recovers. Ashley has not been back to school since the crash.
“I tell Ashley every day, ‘You are not alone. You can start walking again,’ and it’s because a lot of people help us,” Martinez said.
The driver accused of hitting Ashley was identified as Jeffrey Atkinson. He is facing multiple charges related to the crash, including operating a vehicle while impaired and aggravated vehicular assault.
“I just want to say [to] him that I hope the Lord forgives him for what he has done to me,” Ashley said.
The 9-year-old recently broke a bone in her leg that was amputated. She had plans to get a prosthetic leg around Christmas, but now that she’ll be in a cast for four to six weeks, she is not sure that will happen.
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