FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. — A high school student from Fleming Island remains hospitalized in the ICU eight days after being hit by a vehicle while using the crosswalk at the intersection of Eagle Harbor Parkway and Town Center Boulevard.

Fifteen-year-old Sadie Haynes is in Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital, awake and using sign language to communicate with her family.

Sadie Haynes was walking home from hanging out with her friend when the unthinkable happened.

Speaking to First Coast News, her father shared that his lively, Disney-loving daughter now faces severe injuries and a challenging recovery ahead. However, he intends to use this difficult situation to advocate for necessary changes.

The evening of April 30, Kevin Haynes was driving to his Fleming Island home when he noticed lots of commotion on the road.

“When I saw all the emergency vehicles all in one place I got concerned, in my gut I knew that something was not right,” Haynes sad. “Maybe it’s one of my kids.”

His intuition was right. His 15-year-old daughter, Sadie, was hit by a car at the intersection of eagle harbor parkway and town center boulevard.

“It’s just absolutely devastating to think about that experience. Did she know it was happening,” he said. 

The teen suffered multiple fractures and has two traumatic brain injuries.

“We don’t know what the long-term results are. The doctors believe there’s going to be something but hopefully over time her brain can reprogram to do what it’s supposed to be doing,” Haynes said. 

A week after the accident, the teen’s father is back at the intersection where his daughter was hit. Overcome with emotion, but wanting to do something to prevent this from happening to another family.

“This is a bad intersection. Everyone in this community knows how bad this intersection is,” said Haynes. “Every busy intersection should have some rules, some law, something in the codes that says in certain situations make sure these are the warning beacons that pedestrians need to get across the street safely.”

Haynes wants officials to look into installing flashing pedestrian signals, or even redesigning the busy intersection.

“No one should go through what we’re going through right now,” he said.

While Sadie’s road to recovery is a long one, the Haynes family is taking it in strides.

“Today was an amazing day for Sadie. The same little steps, the small improvements are just giant celebrations for us.”

Kevin Haynes says his family has been advocating for pedestrian safety since Sadie was a little girl, so his hits close to home.

Since her accident he’s heard that county leaders are looking into ushering in safety improvements to make the intersection safer.