Jackie Faircloth faces life of recovery after Tallahassee crash

TAMPA, Fla. - Jackie Faircloth was an 18-year-old high school senior when her life forever changed during a trip to visit her brother at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

As she crossed a street near campus, a driver hit her and fled. She barely survived and was left with a traumatic brain injury.

Last week, a jury sided with Jackie’s family in a civil suit that lasted almost five years. Now Jackie’s mother Kathy showed FOX 13’s Kelly Ring what life has been like since that fateful night.

Jackie cannot talk or walk. She has feeding and breathing tubes. She receives daily therapy and 24-hour care. It’s not a life the Faircloth family ever imagined for their vivacious, energetic and beautiful daughter.

The hit-and-run driver involved in the accident was eventually sentenced to two and a half years in prison and is now on probation. A jury awarded the family $30 million in the civil case against two Tallahassee bars -- Pot Bellies, which served the underage driver that night, and Cantania 101, which served 18-year-old Jackie.

Kathy Faircloth says the money will be used to pay for Jackie’s care and treatment.