UH student faces long recovery after head-on crash in Fort Bend County
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A University of Houston student headed home to Richmond is one of two people critically injured in a wreck caused by an impatient driver, according to investigators.
The crash happened just after 5pm on September 10 on Highway 90A near Harlem Road. The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office says a driver heading eastbound decided to try to pass traffic by driving on the right hand shoulder but struck two vehicles as he did.
One of those vehicles, a Toyota Tundra, lost control and crossed the center median, then striking an oncoming pickup truck driven by 26-year-old JoJo Darlin.
"It just T-boned him, with such force. It was horrific," said eyewitness Allison Mills, who was driving immediately behind Darlin.
Mills was among the first to try to help him. His truck was on fire, he was pinned inside and she wasn't sure if he was even still alive.
"We didn't think he was there. We were very concerned but we weren't going to let him burn," Mills said.
Darlin was rushed by medical helicopter to the hospital. For days he was kept in a medically induced coma by doctors. Somehow, he survived.
"We know that it was the by the grace of God that he survived because probably 99 out of 100 people would have never came out of that accident," said his father, Lawrence Darlin.
He says his son has already endured more than a half dozen surgeries and will likely require more than a half dozen more. JoJo has too many broken bones to list. His body was crushed. They expect medical expenses will approach $1 million and tell us neither their insurance nor that of the driver who caused the wreck will cover that. They've started a GoFundMe page hoping for donations that will help them pay for these unexpected bills.
The Fort Bend County Sheriff's office says the driver of the vehicle that caused the wreck has been charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault, as there was another driver also seriously injured. Jeremy Joseph Green, 33, of Houston, posted the $25,000 bond on each charged and is now out of custody awaiting trial.
