Girls injured in E. 31st. Street crash recovering, fundraiser set for medical costs

LORAIN — An online fundraiser hopes to help defray medical costs for children hit by a car in south Lorain late last month. Tony Miller's daughter, Olivia, 10, and stepdaughter, Kaela, 6, were crossing East 31st Street at Clinton Avenue around 3 p.m. Aug. 24 when they were struck by a maroon Honda Pilot traveling west on East 31st Street. The girls' older brother had taken them to Oakwood Park — as he does about once a week — when the crash occurred, Miller said. "They were looking both ways and letting cars go past," Miller said. "When they felt they had a clear way, they started walking." The girls were holding hands and were about halfway across the street when they were hit. In a neighbor's security camera footage shown to a Chronicle-Telegram reporter, the girls can be seen crossing the roadway, then screeching tires can be heard and a maroon vehicle enters the frame. In the video, Olivia attempts to leap out of the way but is struck and thrown back toward the south, landing near the south curb of East 31st. There is a pause after the crash, then she starts screaming. Kaela is hit at the center of the car's bumper, and she is immediately thrown a significant distance through the air. The girl thrown further appears to be knocked unconscious. The girls' brother ran into the road and picked the unconscious child up and carried her to the grass. The driver of the vehicle has not been charged, according to Lorain Municipal Court records. Both girls were taken to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center and transferred to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland shortly thereafter. Olivia sustained fractures to her nose and road burns to her face, her father said. She was admitted overnight and may need surgery on her nose as the swelling decreases. Kaela sustained fractures to her pelvis, shoulder and head, and suffered two lacerations to her head that required staples, Miller said. The 6-year-old spent four days in pediatric intensive care before returning to their south Lorain home. Miller said it is too early to tell if either child will have lasting physical complications from the crash, though Kaela has at-home physical therapy exercises to help her walk improve and is scheduled for follow-up exams next week. "It's a traumatic thing for them," he said. "Olivia kind of remembers what happens, Kaela doesn't necessarily remember, but she just knows she was in pain, she ended up passing out. " In the midst of caring for the two girls, Miller's wife is also due to give birth next month, he said. His wife and Kaela do not have medical insurance, he said, requiring their appointments be paid out of pocket. Miller, who works at a local hospital as a medical assistant, is the sole source of income for the family and has taken several days of unpaid leave while caring for the girls, he said. "It's definitely draining trying to maintain work — I'm missing days," he said. "... Some days I had to leave early, some days I (had to) leave for most of the day. They're sympathetic, but work still goes (on)." The bills for Kaela's treatments have already started to pile up, prompting the GoFundMe to help offset the costs. The day after the crash, city workers placed additional stop signs on East 31st Street to turn the intersection into a four-way stop. The intersection had a traffic light until it was removed in 2016 following a traffic study the year prior. It is sad a tragic situation had to happen to prompt the change, Miller said. "I feel relieved for any other kids that go to the park, and then it felt like a slap in the face because that should've been there already. It's a park over there, it's one of the biggest parks, why not have it with a crosswalk with safety for where the majority of kids are going to play?" In spite of everything, Miller was thankful the crash was not worse. "Despite it all, I know they're recovering good, they're recovering strong," he said. "I just thank god they're still here with us and it's just going to be a process." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.