PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The family of a Minnesota woman who was paralyzed when a driver hit her during a triathlon last Sunday in Palm Beach County has hired a nationally known law firm to investigate the incident.
Ashleigh Whitton, 45, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was hurt while competing in the bicycle portion of the Bill Bone Olympic Triathlon when investigators said a 74-year-old driver turned onto the closed course, striking Whitton and another cyclist.
Whitton is now out of a coma but remains paralyzed from the neck down and is still hospitalized.
Injury law firm Morgan & Morgan said Thursday they are looking into the crash.
"Ashleigh traveled from Minnesota to compete in this race, as she had for many triathlons before. It’s completely inexcusable that a driver entered the course and, in an instant, altered Ashleigh’s life forever. Her family is devastated. We are working tirelessly to uncover all the evidence so we can understand how this happened, how it might have been prevented, and who is responsible," Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Hutch Pinder said in a statement.
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Family members said Whitton is now able to communicate by blinking in response to questions. Her husband has been talking with her and helping her piece together the incident, which she does not remember.
"Ashleigh is an extraordinary woman who has impacted so many lives. She is one of the strongest and most selfless people you will ever meet. She's an incredible mother, loving stepmother and devoted wife. We don't know what the future holds for Ashleigh, but we know she will fight hard to recover to the extent that she can, and that her family and I will be by her side every step of the way," Ashleigh's husband, Patrick Whitton, said in a statement.
Whitton's family is raising money to help pay for her long-term care. They are also upset that the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has not charged the driver.
As of Thursday afternoon, their GoFundMe has raised more than $85,000.
