Victim of suspected drunk driving crash speaks out
A woman who was hit by a suspected drunk driver is speaking out. Still wearing a neck brace and forced to eat from a feeding tube, she hopes her story will make people think twice before drinking and driving. The accident occurred on June 9th at the intersection of Gene Autry and Ramon Road in Palm Springs. Helen Valek was on her way home from work.
“My family was told that I probably wouldn’t make it because my arteries had bursted,” said Valek.
She was transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries and in a coma for several hours. Nearly three months later, she is still recovering. She says the last few months have been unbelievably challenging. Without insurance, she says her medical bills exceed a million dollars. And as a wife and mother of a three-year-old, she says emotionally, this has been one of the hardest times of her life. “Sometimes she’s like, ‘Mommy, I want you to hold me,’ and I can’t. I can hug her on the couch next to me but I can’t even hold my baby,” she said.
Valek hopes that the woman responsible for the crash will be held accountable and that speaking out prevents others from driving under the influence. “I hope they get an Uber or a Lyft or a friend or a family member if they want to pick them up…if they want to go out and drink, go have a drink. But don’t drive before and don’t drive after. I could have left my daughter without a mom for the rest of her life and she’s only three. I could have left my husband without a wife for the rest of his life,” she said.
Valek and family say they are frustrated that the other driver has not been arrested yet. PSPD says the DUI case is under review.
A close friend of Valek has started a GoFundMe to help her family with medical expenses. If you’d like to contribute, click here.
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