COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dorinda Graf, 67, crosses the street at West Broad Street and South Yale Avenue almost every day on her way to and from work.
She pushes the button to activate the crosswalk lights and often helps coworkers who are nervous about the busy street.
However, on Tuesday, Graf was taking her routine trip across the street when a truck driver did not stop at the crosswalk and ended up hitting her, throwing her about 25 feet, according to the traffic report from the Columbus Division of Police.
Witnesses told police that others were stopped at the crosswalk and the lights were flashing, and the truck driver was traveling about 45 mph.
Police cited the driver for operating without a license and failing to stop for a pedestrian.
Graf was rushed to Grant Medical Center and taken in for emergency surgery. She broke 11 ribs and her collarbone, punctured a lung and is covered in bruises.
“It has been crazy hectic. My mom is my superhero so it is really hard right now to see the state she is currently in,” said Danelle Deal, one of Graf’s seven children.
Deal said her mom will have a long road to recovery.
“She is a fighter,” she said.
She is thankful that her mom survived and is calling on others to slow down.
“When I say God was watching out for her, that was God that was protecting my mom that day and didn’t take her away from us,” Deal said.
Tricia Freeman works in the area. She said she watches people speed through the crosswalk every day when the lights are activated.
“I would say seven out of 10 times traffic don’t stop. Some stop, but not all traffic stops,” she said.
Freeman said it would help to have a stop light at the intersection.
“People need to be safer out here. They need to watch for pedestrians out here because someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed. I mean one got seriously hurt, but one is gonna get killed next. I mean it is sad, it is somebody’s mom, sister,” Freeman said.
Graf’s family wants people to think of her when they are driving.
“Something has to happen. We can’t have anyone dealing with what my family is going through or worse,” Deal said.