EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah — Whether you're road-tripping for the eclipse or just driving in general, one woman who is lucky to be alive is warning drivers to be careful on the roads.
"It just takes a second," said Kate Grimes. "It's so quick."
It's been exactly half a year since Grimes' car was the first hit in a multi-vehicle crash in Eagle Mountain.
"Every day there's pain. Every day constantly," she said.
Dashcam video from Oct. 7 shows a car drifting across the median on Cory B. Wride Memorial Highway, hitting multiple cars and sending three people to the hospital with serious injuries.
Everyone involved survived.
"I had seven broken vertebrae, had four broken ribs, partially deflated lung," listed Grimes.
She also had torn tendons and ripped muscle near the bottom of her back. Her arm was broken in three places and she still can't feel half of it.
"I won't be able to lengthen it. This is the farthest it will extend in my entire life," she said.
Now, each time she gets in a car, she's hyperaware of other drivers.
"I see people on their phones, I see people cutting people off," she said. "I see people driving recklessly, not using their signals, not doing what they should be."
She wants to see changes to both driver behavior and the infrastructure. She and her mother intend to go before the city council to share their concerns over UT-73.
To help cover medical costs, future surgeries and physical therapy, Grimes' mother created a GoFundMe. To donate, click here.
"This is just a little blip. I have so much more that I'm going to do, so much more that I'm going to accomplish and so much more that I'm looking forward to," said Grimes.
