TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa Bay teen will graduate high school this month after overcoming a devastating car accident last year, leaving her on a lengthy road to recovery.
When you look at Olivia Wiggins, you might see a typical teen ready to graduate with the Tampa Bay Tech High School Class of 2024.
“The long scar at the top was where I broke my collar bone, and then the little ones were just scars from the glass on my windshield,” said Wiggins.
But those scars are a reminder of just how strong she really is.
The 17-year-old had just rung in the New Year for 2023.
“I was driving home from being with my friends, and a drunk driver came my way in a one-way street,” she said. “I tried to swerve like to get out of their way, and I hit a tree."
Pictures only begin to paint how devastating the accident was: Wiggins was in a medically induced coma for three weeks and in the hospital for about three months.
Her injuries included a broken collar bone, fractured bones in her face and skull, and punctured lungs.
Her doctors worried she may not survive, and if she did, she might not walk or talk again.
“I had like occupational, physical, and speech therapy, but I enjoyed it all because I could tell that it was helping me get back to how I was,” said Wiggins.
The recovery was long, but she caught up with school to get back on track for the start of her senior year.
“It's been such a journey, but I'm going to be proud of myself for overcoming that journey,” she said.
Now, she's back on her feet and ready to walk across the stage at graduation at the end of the month.
"It's been an up and down long journey, so I'm probably going to be up there crying on that stage,” said Wiggins.
