After a crash on the northbound 99 freeway that resulted in her being rushed to Fresno's University Medical Center, 22-year-old Victoria Sanchez has returned to classes at California State University, Fresno.

On Monday, April 2 at around 1:30 p.m., Sanchez was a passenger in a Jeep Wrangler driven by her boyfriend, Warren Turl.

Near the Mendocino exit in Kingsburg, the jeep was going 70 mph in the fast lane when a car came up close behind it. According to California Highway Patrol Officer B.W. Simpson, Turl downshifted and jerked, and the jeep veered into the ditch. Overturned in a ditch and stuck in a tree on the right side of the freeway, it was almost hidden from view.

Officer Simpson said that because of how the Jeep was hidden from the flow of traffic, the two were pinned inside the car for 20 minutes before they were found. It was nearly an hour after the accident occurred before police cleared the scene.

Sanchez was said to be in serious condition, and Turl was said to have minor injuries.

Sanchez's aunt, Hope Martin, said that Sanchez returned to Fresno State on April 16. While Sanchez suffered a concussion and still has swelling, she is doing better.

"She still has a lot of pain, we'll see how she holds up," Martin said. "[But] she didn't want to miss a lot of school."

Sanchez is in the nursing program at Fresno State, and wanted to be sure she was prepared for finals.

Martin said that in the days after the accident, Sanchez could not remember what had happened.

Because of the seriousness of the accident, Martin said it is a miracle that both Turl and Sanchez are recovering so well. When the Jeep rolled over, Sanchez started to fall out of her seat, in spite of having her seat belt on. Turl got out of his shoulder belt, reached over with his left arm and held on to her.

"He was afraid she'd fall out," Martin said.

His act of heroism probably saved Sanchez from sliding out of her seat belt. Turl's left arm had initially lost all sensation, but is slowly returning to normal, Martin said.

"They were both wearing a seat belt," Martin said, and added that as bad as it was, it could have been worse.

"This week's going to be tough on her," Martin said, referring to the swelling on Sanchez's head and neck.

Still, Martin is grateful to see the two doing as well as they are.

"They were just lucky," Martin said. "Thank God for that."

April 18, 2007