DAVIS, Calif. — Nearly three months after a crash put her into a coma for five weeks, a UC Davis freshman and member of the cycling team is awake and recovering at home in San Francisco with her family.
"I'm happy to be alive," said Juny Gow-Smith, who was hit by a car March 11 while crossing Russell Boulevard near County Road 97.
She suffered a head injury in the crash impacting her memory.
CHP said the driver remained on scene and DUI is not believed to be a factor.
The crash happened at a high-speed area for cars, according to the UC Davis cycling team president Ella Rosenthal, who said "it could have been anyone."
The responding officer wrote Gow-Smith either failed to yield or stop at the intersection before crossing, a finding her family has struggled with because Gow-Smith can't remember the accident or her side of the story.
"I simply can’t remember anything," she said about the accident, comparing it to a dream you can't remember.
Months later, while some of her memories aren't coming back, her big personality is.
"When you first were coming out of the coma, you were making jokes," said her older sister, Olivia Gow-Smith.
"Really? I can't imagine they were any good," Juny replied.
Olivia Gow-Smith kept friends posted online about Juny's progress while she was in the hospital.
Back in Davis, her team was pulling for her, gathering dozens of riders and raising thousands of dollars toward her medical bills.
"To show her that we're here for her, we love her, the entire cycling community," said Neha Joshi, one of the student leaders of the cycling team.
Gow-Smith says she feels the love all the way from San Francisco.
