Back in 2007, a Rhode Island woman got a flat tire on Route 1. She got out of her vehicle and stood well off the travel lane to call her mother for assistance. The car crash that would take place after that call has left her with permanent injuries. Despite that, the now 24-year-old woman is reaching her goal of graduating from the University of Rhode Island.

That may not seem like an insurmountable feat to some people, but after being hit by a car going approximately 100 mph, she is lucky to be alive. Her body was thrown some 125 feet by the impact. When her mother found her in the middle of Route 1, she kept other vehicles from hitting her daughter until emergency responders could arrive.

Her daughter lost nearly two-thirds of her body's blood supply onto the road, which killed around 85 percent of her brain. She had other physical injuries as well, and it was 128 days before her mother heard her speak again. After that, it was a long road to recovery and her bachelor's degree.

Since that time, the driver -- who was under the influence at the time of this horrific car crash -- was sentenced to prison for seven years and nine months. With good behavior, she is set to be released this June. The victim's recovery may have felt like a prison sentence of her own, but she never gave up. While she was earning her degree and the driver has been in prison, a personal injury lawsuit was filed with the Rhode Island courts. That case has yet to be decided.

Source: providencejournal.com, "After horrific accident in 2007, Sylvia Bogusz set to graduate from URI with honors", Donita Naylor, May 16, 2014