By Rachel Engel
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — A Palm Harbor firefighter-paramedic is recovering from multiple surgeries after being hit by a speeding vehicle while on duty last month.
Lt. Ashley White, 38, was responding to the scene of a highway crash and retrieving equipment from the fire truck when she was hit by a speeding driver, WFLA reported. She sustained blunt trauma to her entire body, the fire chief said.
First responders and community members gathered over the weekend for a fundraising event to help White’s family with medical bills, as she reflected on the incident and her recovery.
“It’s a miracle, honestly, seeing the damage to our apparatus that was done and knowing that he was driving at a high rate of speed,” White said.
Following the crash, White underwent two surgeries and nearly a week in the hospital before returning home to her family.
Lt. Steve Gorby, who immediately began providing medical treatment to White on the scene, said White was known for her adherence to safety protocols.
“That was the first thing she said to me in the hospital when we got there was, ‘Can you believe it? Me of all people, I got hit by a car,’” he recalled. “But it could happen to any one of us any day.”
White plans to return to the fire service, pending her recovery, and reminds motorists to pay attention while on the road.
“If you see lights, you need to slow down and move over,” she said.
A GoFundMe account was created to assist with White’s recovery.