Mother of woman injured in drunk driving crash shares daughter’s story

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.- Government statistics show every two minutes a person is injured in a drunk driving crash.  Now, one local woman is clinging to life, leaving her mother wondering if she’ll make it.

“It’s just so hard to watch. I’m not getting any responses out of her,” said Nancy Gomez.

Gomez can’t get the images of her daughter’s horrific crash from two weeks ago out of her head. Alexandria Van Manan, 27, is still fighting for her life in the ICU.

“It’s 14 days after this accident and she’s still fighting,” said Gomez. “It seems like everyday we’re finding something else that’s going on with her.”

Manan, an aspiring attorney, was driving with her boyfriend along U.S. 41 on July 12 when they turned left on a green arrow.

The Florida Highway Patrol says that’s when 32-year-old John Stetina of Englewood ran a red light and plowed into their car.

“The whole side of the car went in,” said Gomez.

Stetina refused a breathalyzer test but is still facing DUI charges for serious injury to Manan and for property damage.

Gomez says she’s sharing her daughter’s story, hoping it will be a reminder for people to not drink and drive.

Gomez says doctors recently found fluid in her daughter’s abdomen and are inserting tubes to help with the drainage. But they’re still taking it day by day.

If you’d like to donate to Van Manan’s GoFundMe page, click here.