Teen black belt seriously injured in suspected DUI accident

A teen from Elizabethtown, who is a world-famous black belt in Taekwondo, was hurt in a car accident and is now in critical condition.

Police believe that the driver who caused the accident and hit her car was under the influence at the time. They also say he’s been arrested for driving under the influence before.

The teen was with her grandmother, and she also suffered serious injuries in the crash. Both had to be taken by helicopter to Vanderbilt Medical Center.

One of the young woman’s parents spoke about the girl’s injuries, saying she has a broken back and three facial fractures. She also has multiple broken ribs and a shattered pelvis.

The 37-year-old man who caused the crash was given his third DUI, along with charges for first-degree assault.

The teen’s father pointed out that his daughter has three world titles in martial arts, the same amount of titles as the man has DUI charges on his record. Despite being just 16 years old, she’s worked her way up to become a second-degree black, winning those championships along the way.

A story like this really shows the devastating consequences of a completely preventable accident. The family is worried that the girl may be paralyzed, but it’s too soon to know. Will she ever be able to get back into her athletic career, or was everything she worked so hard for taken away from her in a split second?

At times like this, it’s important for those who are hurt and their families to know all of their potential options to seek out financial compensation.

Source: Wave 3, “Teen black belt and martial arts teacher injured in DUI crash,” Maira Ansari, Oct. 17, 2017