Family wants to thank nurses, drivers who saved woman after rollover crash on I-495
LAWRENCE - A young woman is fighting for her life. The 21-year-old was on her way to work when a tractor-trailer hit her car, flipping the vehicle several times on Route 495.
Her family wants to find and thank the guardian angels who came to her aid.
When the family of Keyarah Mendoza saw the mangled metal that's left of her car, they knew someone was looking over the bright and beautiful 21-year-old that January 27th morning.
Her twin sister Kaylanee Mendoza couldn't imagine life without her other half.
"I just want her to be OK and I wish she wasn't hurting," said Kaylanee. "The fact that she had that miracle happen to her is just kind of a reflection of like how good of a person she is that still meant to be here and meant to be the kind person that she is."
In a matter of minutes, the college student nearly lost her life while driving to work on southbound Route 495 in Lawrence.
Troopers say a tractor-trailer cut into her lane and smashed into Keyarah's car-flipping it several times until is rested on the roof.
Keyarah was thrown out and landed on the opposite side of the highway in northbound lane.
"She happened to land in front of a nurse's car and the nurse actually stopped, got out of her car and when she started rendering aid, she wasn't breathing," said Keyarah's aunt Jessy McMillon.
Good Samaritans protected the 21-year-old by blocking her body with their cars while another nurse pulled over to help.
"They revived her and brought her back to life and the ambulance wasn't there yet," said McMillon.
Keyarah suffered unimaginable head injuries and broken bones. She wasn't expected to survive.
"The injuries that she sustained, usually it's not good news," said McMillon. "Which is why when we were in the emergency room, they had a priest there with us because that was not the expectation and Keyarah said, 'nope not today.'"
A month and half later, Keyarah's family says she just woke up from a medically induced coma. Still Keyarah has a long recovery ahead of her.
The community has been rallying behind her parents who haven't left her side with calls, prayers and a growing online fundraiser.
"They won't give up, they won't give up, Keyarah's fighting, she's not giving up and neither are they," said McMillon.
They hope to meet the guardian angels who helped saved her life and gave them many reasons to be thankful.
"I just really appreciate the fact that the nurse was able to do what she could for her. Like there is no way I could repay her," Kaylanee said through tears.
The family is also thankful to all the first responders, troopers and good Samaritans who rushed to help.
As for the driver of the tractor-trailer, troopers say a 56-year-old woman from Winthrop, Maine has been charged with negligent operation of a vehicle and marked lanes violation.
