NORTON SHORES, Mich. — A Muskegon mother of four was driving for Uber when she was seriously injured in a hit-and-run.
The crash happened in the northbound lanes of US-31 near the Hile Exit on Jan. 22. Her family says police found pieces of the cars for miles after the crash.
"They left her for dead," her mom, Marilyn Beene, said.
Torie McGough, 47, is now recovering at Trinity Health in Muskegon, surrounded by her loving family.
"I look up to her," her brother, Ken Bankhead, said. "I love her, that's my big sister."
Norton Shores Police say the driver slid on ice, hitting McGough’s car and slamming them both into the guardrail. Her family says her car then flipped into a ditch.
“The car looks like she should not have made it out of there," Beene said.
The two people in the backseat who ordered McGough’s Uber were miraculously unharmed.
“Thank the Lord for that," Beene said.
McGough, though, is suffering from multiple broken bones, an injured neck, a broken pelvis, a bruised heart, liver, and a brain bleed. She now has to learn to walk all over again.
"They say it'll be a long recovery," Beene explained, "I feel her pain."
They have no doubts McGough will make it to see the end of her recovery days — her positivity proves it.
"She's a strong woman," Beene said.
"When I did get to speak to her first, it was on FaceTime. And the first thing I saw was a smile," Bankhead said.
When Beene and Bankhead found out McGough had been in a crash around 8 that night, the whole family rushed to see her at the hospital. They describe their family as an "all hands on deck" support system.
"It's unfortunate that trauma has to play a part in that, to bring people together," Bankhead said.
McGough's injuries could’ve been much worse had it not been for a man who pulled over and waited with her until help arrived.
“I'm gonna call him a good Samaritan," Beene said. "He stayed by her and helped her.”
McGough's youngest son, Jeremiah, says he wants to meet the man and "bless him," Beene said, smiling.
While McGough spends long days recovering, the other driver is walking free.
“It just ain’t fair that the person just leaves her for dead like that," Beene said.
Still, her family says they forgive the person.
"We believe in people, we believe in forgiveness," Bankhead explained. “We don’t hold grudges. But what’s right is right, what’s wrong is wrong.”
No matter what happens, McGough’s support system will be by her side through it all.
"These things always make you pull it back together and recognize what’s important," Bankhead said.
He says he can't wait to see his sister recover so they can get back to everyday life, enjoying each others' company.
"Every day is a blessing," he said.
Now, they want to leave the driver with just one message.
“Don’t carry the guilt, say something," Beene said.
Officials say the suspect's car is a Black, older-model sedan that looks similar to an Impala or a Malibu and could be around a 2010 in the model year. It had a front bumper that was hanging low on the driver's side, but after the crash, much of the damage is on the front passenger side.
If you have any information on the crash, you're asked to call the Norton Shores Police Department at (231) 733-2691 or Silent Observer at (231) 722-7463.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.