Ford F-350 utility truck struck Mother and daughter
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008In a moment, their lives changed forever.
Holly Thrailkill and her 4-year-old daughter Graceyn were on their way home after dropping off Graceyn’s two sisters at school.
About three miles from home, the Thrailkills’ Nissan Quest was hit head-on by a Ford F-350.
A month later, after multiple surgeries, Holly is on the mend. Graceyn is paralyzed and using a wheelchair. And the driver of the pickup has been arrested on DUI charges.
Tonya Gann, 39, of Raymond is being held on two counts of DUI mayhem in the Rankin County Jail.
A blood-alcohol test showed she was over the legal limit of 0.08 percent when she crossed the center line of two-lane Shiloh Road in a Ford F-350 utility truck and struck the Thrailkill’s SUV around 8 a.m. March 25, according to Rankin County Sheriff Ronnie Pennington.
Graceyn’s spinal cord was damaged, and doctors have told her family she may not walk again. She remained hospitalized until last week.
Holly Thrailkill spent 12 days in intensive care and underwent four surgeries at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She suffered compound fractures of both legs along with severe gall bladder and liver injuries.
Thrailkill’s husband, Lane, has had to go on leave from his job at Nissan to take care of the two, along with the couple’s 8- and 6-year-old daughters.
He said food and financial help from loved ones have eased the new burden placed on the family.
“Even if this falls under our insurance, insurance only pays for so much, and then we’re paying out of pocket,” Lane Thrailkill said. “We were living paycheck to paycheck before this. We have been blessed that our friends and people have been able to help us.”
