CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As we previously reported,Corinne Turilli's life changed forever on August 18 after being struck by a suspected drunk driver. Police said the driver was traveling at high speed and the wrong way on I-37.
It was just a routine drive for Corinne Turilli and her family, coming home from a trip to central Texas.
"My niece just bought a house in Kyle, Texas. And me, my mom and my son and my two dogs went to go see it," Turilli said.
But in a matter of seconds, their lives were forever changed.
"I was driving off I-37 around Southern Minerals. I was coming around the corner and the next thing I see is headlights," Turilli said.
The headlights were from a wrong way driver. The driver was identified by police as 23- year-old Kendra Nunez. She was later charged with intoxication assault.
Turilli said she tried to avoid a head-on impact with Nunez's vehicle.
"So I swerved to the shoulder and my mom and my kid got hit," Turilli said.
All three were injured, and Turilli's 74-year-old mother, Christina Turilli, had the worst injuries.
"She started screaming that she couldn't feel her legs and that she was dying," Turilli said.
The victim said she tried to get her mother out of the wrecked vehicle but the passenger side door was too damaged. First responders had to use the "jaws of life" to get her mother out.
"She's in critical condition on a ventilator. She has a broken femur, they did a whole knee replacement. She has two broken ribs, she has spinal fractures and now they're saying she may be catching pneumonia," Turilli said.
Corinne's son had a concussion that caused him temporary amnesia. He has no memory of the two weeks before the accident. Corinne described her injuries.
"I have bruises and deep contusions all over my torso. Just a horrible accident but it could have been prevented," Turilli said.
In the days since the accident, Corinne's focus has been on her recovery and taking care of her mom. She's been unable to drive because she's traumatized by what happened. She also fears that this could happen again to someone else.
And like Corinne and her family, she fears someone else's life could be changed or even taken in a flash.
"[This] completely affected my family and turned it upside down. My mom's quality of life will never be the same," Turilli said.
Turilli said she cannot work for three weeks because of her injuries. With her mother still in the hospital, the bills are piling up. Click here if you want to help.
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