Watch CBS News

'Kept Pushing Me': 19-Year-Old Meets Medical Crews Who Save Her Life

PARKER, Colo. (CBS4) - A 19-year-old woman returned to Parker Adventist Hospital on Thursday to thank the medical staff that first put her on the road to recovery after a horrifying crash.

Crash Survivor 1 (Morgan Koetter, from Parker Adventist Hospital)
Morgan Koetter (credit: Parker Adventist Hospital)

Morgan Koetter suffered a traumatic brain injury in December which left her in a coma.

Koetter spent more than three weeks at the hospital, but the majority of that time she was in that coma.

She was riding in her boyfriend's pickup when they were hit by a speeding car which ran a red light.

Koetter's seat belt failed, and the impact threw her into the windshield.

South Metro Fire paramedics pulled her from the truck, and rushed her to Parker Adventist Hospital.

Crash Survivor 5 (Morgan Koetter, from Parker Adventist Hospital)
Morgan Koetter (credit: Parker Adventist Hospital)

She had severe head and neck injuries, a shattered jaw, a lacerated carotid artery and damaged organs. She was later diagnosed with severe brain trauma.

Three months later, Koetter is up and moving and looks fantastic.

Crash Survivor 7 (Morgan Koetter, from Parker Adventist Hospital)
Morgan Koetter (credit: Parker Adventist Hospital)

"In the grand scheme of things, it's good to be young number one. If that all happened to me, this would be a memorial service. It really is a credit to the entire team and the system that we've been allowed to put in place to deal with this kind of accident that happens in our community," said Dr. Chris Winter at Parker Adventist Hospital.

CRASH SURVIVOR 12VO.transfer_frame_698
(credit: CBS)

"Everything you all have done is incredible. I would not be standing here today, as much as we say it's youth and effort I put behind myself, it's not. That's not 100 percent everything. You all were there. You all kept pushing me forward and making me try harder. I really cannot say thank you enough," said Koetter.

After Koetter woke from the coma she was taken to Craig Hospital where she underwent aggressive physical therapy.

She was just released ‪from‬ 24-hour supervision on Friday. Now, she's taking reintegration classes so she can prepare to get back to college and live her life.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.