MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman is on the road to recovery a day after she was struck by an SUV that slammed into a shopping plaza in Miami Gardens.
The family of 64-year-old Joan Shiwgovind said she is recovering in the hospital following Thursday morning’s crash.
“She’s in a lot of pain. Her knee, her leg, her stomach,” said her son, Samuel Shiwgovind. “A lot of pain, a lot of swelling, a lot of inflammation, so we don’t really know what’s going on yet. She can’t walk on it.”
Samuel said his mother was hit just minutes after he dropped her off at LC’s Roti Shop restaurant.
“I got a phone call about 10 minutes later saying that she got hit by a car,” he said. “She was on the phone crying.”
Samuel rushed back to the shopping plaza, located off Northwest Second Ave, near 195th Street.
When he arrived, he saw a black Jaguar damaged after it crashed into the building, and his mother injured and in pain.
“I rushed back over here to see she was laying on the ground with the car,” he said.
Samuel said his mother was sitting on this ledge when the SUV suddenly hopped the curb and pinned her to the building.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews quickly responded to the scene and took Shiwgovind to Aventura Hospital.
Her daughter, Usha Persaud, said she was able to meet up with her there.
“She was in a lot of pain, and she was crying, screaming,” she said.
Persaud said her mother is hurting both physically and emotionally.
“She was afraid that she was going to close her eyes and go to sleep and not wake back up,” she said.
Persaud said her mother suffered multiple injuries to her stomach and legs. She is thankful things didn’t turn out worse.
Both of Shiwgovind’s children are now hoping she gets back on her feet soon.
“She is very down, and until she can walk, they won’t let her out again,” said Persaud.
As of Friday night, Miami Gardens Police said they have no updates about the driver involved and what may have caused the crash.
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