PARMA, Ohio — Michelle Williamson was on her way home going down Day Drive in Parma. She passed a fast food place when she says a driver - who was looking at his passenger - didn't see her and turned into the restaurant, hitting her and her motorized wheelchair.
Williamson feels lucky because she only suffered bruises, but it left her wheelchair undrivable.
It will likely take over a month for a new one to come in.
This leaves Williamson, who is living on disability, mostly homebound because she's unable to pay the high rental cost for a temporary chair while the new one is being made.
She refers to the chair as her legs because it's what guarantees her freedom to do everyday tasks, run errands and go grocery shopping.
She has this message to every driver about the importance of keeping a lookout for people using mobility aids.
"People like me and other people in scooters, this seems to be happening a lot lately. People are getting hit because people aren't paying attention, people just need to be more aware of what they're doing when they're driving," Williamson said.
TJ Martin, the public information officer for Parma Fire, says they responded to Williamson's incident.
He adds that the message to be cautious while driving is not just for parents to be telling their teens. Adults of all ages are driving distracted and that could lead to situations like Williamson's broken wheelchair or worse.
UPDATE: After our story aired on Thursday, September 1, one of Michelle Williamson's neighbors offered to help fix her wheelchair. Thanks to a little bit of wiring work, Michelle is able to be mobile and will be able to get around until her new wheelchair arrives. She has taken down her GoFundMe site.
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