IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - An Iowa City woman is recovering after she said she was hit by a semi-truck while stranded on the side of Interstate 80 Saturday.
After having car troubles shortly after getting onto the highway, Alisha Perdomo-Molina said she pulled onto the shoulder. Soon after, she and her vehicle were struck by a semi. She told KCRG-TV9 that she feels lucky to be alive.
“I can’t walk straight, I have a hard time going to the restroom, I can’t even sit up straight, I can’t even be in a car that long,” Perdomo-Molina said.
Perdomo-Molina said after her husband arrived to look over the car, she was folding in her mirrors and leaning in the driver’s side door to collect her things. Then the semi came by.“The semi hits me and hits my car and damages my car. My car went ‘bam’ and my whole door went ‘bam,’ and hit right here and my whole door is off,” Perdomo-Molina said.
Perdomo-Molina shared pictures with TV9 of where she was parked, over the white line on the shoulder. She said the semi driver kept going after the incident and disputes hitting her, only her car.
“My husband ran down the highway after him and got his license plate and that’s what made him stop and go back,” Perdomo-Molina said.
Perdomo-Molina showed her injuries during her interview with a TV9 reporter, a large bruise stretches down her hip and thigh. Iowa State Trooper Bob Conrad says this type of incident is a reminder to all drivers.“Anytime you are broke down on the side of the road, always remember that is probably one of the most dangerous places you are going to be in your life, is on the side of a busy interstate,” Conrad said. “That is probably the highest chance of you dying that day is being on the side of that interstate.”
Conrad said stopping on the side of the interstate is only for emergencies. If you have to, then get over as far as you can – even if that means getting in the grass. But, some of the responsibility also lies with the vehicles continuing forward on the highway.
“If there is a vehicle on the side of the road with its hazard lights on, you, by law, are required to move over into the other lane or slow down below the speed limit,” Conrad said.
Now, Perdomo-Molina is calling on drivers to be alert.“Please be careful on the road, please get over as far as you can because I could have lost my life,” Perdomo-Molina said. “My daughter could have lost me at 10 years old.”
Perdomo-Molina has hired an attorney. She wants anyone who might have witnessed the incident to contact investigators.