JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman is recovering after she said she was hit by a drunk driver on Halloween night.
Lillian Rapske was leaving her family’s house in Fernandina Beach and heading back to Jacksonville when police said that the driver hit her from behind on U.S. Highway 17.
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The crash happened in an instant.
“This is not happening; this is not real,” said Rapske. “This can’t be real, and then it became very real, very quick.”
The impact sent her car off the roadway.
“I didn’t want to go into incoming traffic, so I went into the tree line through the ditch,” said Rapske.
She was taken to the hospital and is now recovering from multiple injuries.
“My left lung was completely collapsed, and I have broken ribs on the left side,” said Rapske. “On the right side, I have a fractured wrist and a severely sprained knee.”
The other driver who is facing DUI charges is now just one of over 1600 DUI arrests that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has made so far this year.
Rapske is encouraging other drivers to think twice before getting behind the wheel while impaired, especially during the holiday season.
“It’s unforgivable and frankly super avoidable in this day and age,” said Rapske. “Have a plan in place. Be prepared. Know I’m going to take an Uber. Know I’m going to take a Lyft. Know I’m going to have a designated driver.”
A GoFundMe was created for Lillian. Fundraiser by Steven Smith: Support Lillian Cornish’s Road to Recovery
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