MADISON, Wis. — Lamara Howard is now resting at home after being released from the hospital Monday night. The middle schooler was hit as she was crossing the street to go to Kwik Twip at Raymond Road and McKenna Boulevard Sunday night, just seconds from her home.
Witnesses told Howard’s mother that the driver sped up and went through a red light after hitting her, leaving her body in the street.
“She hit the windshield and her body kind of flew,” said Monica Howard, Lamara’s mom. “What witnesses told me is that her body landed in the street right outside of Kwik Trip traffic. Witnesses picked her up because there was oncoming traffic so they didn’t want her… he left her in the middle of the street for dead.”
The man accused of hitting her, 36-year-old Sarbjit Bhullar, is now in the Dane County Jail. Police were able to track him down using surveillance footage from the scene.
Howard said Lamara has a long road of recovery ahead.
“As far as her medical diagnosis right now, it is unknown what we have to face,” said Howard.
With multiple fractures, hematomas, head injuries and a severe concussion, Howard said doctor’s aren’t sure what the long term effects of those injuries will be.
But she said her daughter is very traumatized.
“When she does wake up, for brief periods, she’s very agitated and then she wants to continually talk about the accident over and over again. So this has been a large impact mentally,” said Howard. “And as her injuries are progressing, she’s starting to swell up so you’re really starting to see the impact.”
Even though Bhullar has been arrested, Howard fears this will happen again. She said this intersection and most of Raymond Road is dangerous because people drive too fast.
“Anybody in the accident that Lamara just went through could be dead at this point – easily. Even at a lower speed,” said Howard.
The city has been focusing on this area of the west side in their Vision Zero initiative. Just last week, digital signboards were added to McKenna Boulevard. The speed limit on the street from Raymond Road to Watts Road will change from 35 mph to 30 mph.
