Justyne Bennett

Q&A'S

• What happened, why are you in the Wheelchair?

  On October 20, 2021, my life changed in an instant during what was supposed to be a normal high school lunch break. I went out for a motorcycle ride, and about five minutes into the ride I was traveling straight when a drunk driver suddenly turned left into a plaza directly in front of me. I had no time to brake and collided with the vehicle, being thrown approximately 200 feet from my motorcycle. The impact resulted in a T4 incomplete spinal cord injury, leaving me paralyzed. I also suffered a punctured and collapsed left lung. Paramedics arrived quickly and rushed me into emergency surgery. Due to the severity of my lung injury, I was placed on a ventilator for one week. Since the accident, I have been recovering and adapting to life with paralysis, continuing to move forward despite everything that happened.