A Collin County teacher is recovering in the hospital following a serious car crash more than two weeks ago near Princeton.
Rosanna Strickland has remained hospitalized since the crash.
“It’s OK. I have a great attitude about it,” said Strickland.
Strickland, a fourth-grade math and science teacher at Dodd Elementary School in Wylie ISD, saw her life change dramatically earlier this month.
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“It was Friday the 13th, driving home like a normal day. I had plans for Saturday, plans for Sunday. God had different plans,” said Strickland, a devout Christian.
The crash occurred on Farm-to-Market Road 982, just south of the small community of Culleoka. Strickland said it was a head-on collision.
Photos of her Chevrolet sedan reveal the driver’s side was completely crushed.
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“They did the jaws of life to get me out,” she said.
Moments after Strickland's car came to a stop in a donut shop parking lot, she said a man climbed into her backseat to help. That man, she later learned, was an off-duty police officer.
Not only did the officer prevent further injury, but in an unexpected twist, Strickland discovered his daughter, Ashlee Flatt, is one of the medical professionals at Medical City McKinney now aiding in her recovery.
“Once I put the pieces together -- I just -- the way God works, [he] just put her in my life,” Flatt, a patient care tech, told NBC 5.
“We love them like we love our family,” said Lakita Moore, an occupational therapist at Medical City McKinney.
Strickland suffered extensive injuries, including a broken hip, ankle, and back, along with nearly 100 fractures in her face.
She is now undergoing three hours of daily physical and occupational therapy, often supported by family, friends, and colleagues from her school.
“I have a million people praying for me. It’s overwhelming,” said Strickland emotionally.
Strickland is expected to be discharged from the hospital by mid-January and hopes to return to the classroom by February.
As of Monday, an online fundraiser has collected more than $9,000 to support her recovery.
“I want to be out of this chair. I want to walk, and I will,” said Strickland.
