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HURRICANE, Washington County — A Hurricane man is recovering after a suspected drunk driver hit him while he was out for a walk. Now, not only is that man dealing with his injuries, but he said he is also being left with all the medical bills that the collision created.
On Monday afternoon, Dominic Sutherland struggled to stand up from a recliner. After nearly dropping his empty water cup, he pushed himself up and grasped onto his walker before he began hopping over to the fridge a few feet away.
Tasks like walking and refilling his water cup have become extreme burdensome as Sutherland heals from suffering a broken tibia, fibula, kneecap and ankle.
"Right here is where they inserted the first metal rod," he said, pointing to a several-inch-long scar on his right leg.
Doctors also just put a stent in his heart because of a torn artery. The two surgeries and severe injuries were all news to him when he awoke from being sedated just over a week ago.
"I was like, 'What are you talking about? Where am I?' I was shocked," Sutherland said, describing the moment when he learned he was in the hospital after an auto-pedestrian accident.
Sutherland explained that the last thing he remembered was taking a late-night walk near his home in the early hours of June 30 in Hurricane.
"I had heard this car speeding down my neighborhood road, and it looked like it was going about 40 miles per hour," he recalled.
Sutherland said he stepped onto the road and waved his arms to slow the person down as she drove on the other side of the road from him because he said she was driving way too fast.
"She had swerved from the other side of the road onto the left side of the road," he said, explaining what his brother would later tell him.
You should not drive intoxicated at all. It doesn't only change the person's life you hit, but it can change your life, too.
–Dominic Sutherland
The car smashed into Sutherland, hitting his knee first.
"After she hit my knee, I kind of like spun, rolled over the hood, and then flew like a good 5, 6 feet into a U-Haul, and then smashed that and hit the ground," he said.
After waking up in the hospital, Sutherland found out the driver was suspected of being drunk, is under legal drinking age and didn't have insurance.
"Which means I'm going to have to pay for all of this, even though I'm the victim," he said.
He'll be able to petition the court for restitution, though Sutherland has no idea how long that process will take or how much he'll be able to recoup.
Sutherland hasn't even begun to find out what the medical bills will cost. On top of that, he said he'll be out of work for quite some time, and his dream career of making music — which included two upcoming shows in St. George and Las Vegas — are now on hold.
He isn't sure how he'll continue paying rent and daily expenses in addition to everything else.
A GoFundMe* campaign has been set up to help Sutherland make ends meet.
According to the Hurricane Police Department, other people in the car ran from the scene. The 20-year-old driver — who they identified as Brianna Boykin — was charged earlier this month with DUI, negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony; driving under the influence, possession of an alcoholic substance by a minor, and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, all class B misdemeanors. She was also charged with operating a vehicle without insurance, a class C misdemeanor; and driving on left of road when prohibited, an infraction.
While Boykin faces those charges, Sutherland is facing a long recovery and financial burden.
"You should not drive intoxicated at all," he said. "It doesn't only change the person's life you hit, but it can change your life, too."
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
