A young woman who had carved out a life of independence despite her autism is now facing a new challenge—paralysis from the waist down—after being hit by an alleged drunk driver.
Julie Steed, 24, sustained severe injuries on March 4 while heading home from work on her scooter in Lafayette, Louisiana, after finishing her shift and putting on her helmet.
According to police reports, Julie was rear-ended by a driver with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.
Tragically, as she lay injured on the road, two additional vehicles ran over her. Julie’s mother, Jamie Steed, shared with WBRC that her daughter was dragged approximately 500 feet.
The suspect, 36-year-old Dakota Wagoner, was apprehended by Lafayette police and faces charges of operating while intoxicated and vehicular negligent injuring.
Images from the hospital reveal Julie’s face and neck marred by severe bruises. She now copes with paralysis from the chest down, with only partial mobility remaining in her right arm.
Julie’s mother and sister set up a GoFundMe to help pay for medical expenses and the cost of renovating the family’s home to accommodate the needs of a paralyzed person.
According to the fundraising page, Julie is ‘autistic and has struggled with depression and anxiety her whole life.’ That made her early steps into independence by finding a job and moving away from home particularly remarkable.
Julie Steed, 24, suffered a broken arm, severe bruising and was paralyzed from the chest down after she was struck by an alleged drunk driver on March 4
Julie is autistic, and she had recently moved from her home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to work and live independently in Lafayette, Louisiana. She is pictured before she was paralyzed
Police arrested a man named Dakota Wagoner, 36, and accused him of running over Julie while his blood alcohol content was three times over the legal limit. His mugshot is pictured
‘She was living on her own. She was paying her bills. She got her a job, (taking) herself back and forth to work on her own,’ Jamie told WBRC. ‘I was so proud of her. I really was.’
The Steed family is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which is more than 400 miles from Lafayette.
That is where Jamie was when at 2am, she received the terrifying call informing her that her daughter was hit by a car and in critical condition at a hospital.
The mother rushed to Louisiana to be with her daughter, who has had five surgeries since she was struck by a car nearly two months ago.
According to the GoFundMe page, the first surgery was to repair Julie’s back, and doctors had to use ‘rods, screws and bolts.’
The second surgery was to give her a colostomy bag and repair her colon. The third surgery was to fix her broken right arm. The fourth surgery was to ‘close her up’ from the second surgery and remove dead tissue.
The fifth surgery took place about two weeks later on March 20. Doctors replaced her wound vac, which is a medical device used to drain fluids from injuries and promote healing.
Julie told WBRC: ‘I know this isn’t the end of my life. I know that there are opportunities for me, but this isn’t something that you prepare for.’
Julie has had five surgeries since she was struck by a car nearly two months ago. She has ‘rods, screws and bolts’ in her back and has spent every day since the crash in hospitals
Julie’s mother, Jamie Steed, said she was ‘so proud’ of her daughter for living and working independently. The mother and daughter are pictured together
‘I’ve never once had the thought of, what if one day I become paralyzed?’ she added.
The 24-year-old spent a month recovering from her severe injuries at a hospital in Louisiana before she was transferred to Nolan Hospital in Alabama to be closer to home and receive specialized care.
She is currently still recovering at the Alabama hospital. Once she is discharged, she will be transferred to an inpatient rehab facility and stay there for about a month.
According to the GoFundMe, the Steed family ‘is preparing to care for her full-time, and her boyfriend is moving here to help as well.’
‘To make our home accessible, we need to sell our current car and buy one that she can use, rip up the carpet so she can move around in her wheelchair, and remodel the bathroom so she can bathe safely and comfortably,’ the family said.
‘On top of that, we’re facing mounting medical bills and know she’ll need a hospital bed and a better wheelchair than what the hospital can provide.’
Julie spent a month recovering at a Louisiana hospital before she was transferred to a hospital in Alabama to be closer to home and receive specialized care. She is pictured after having spent some time healing, though she is still recovering at the Alabama hospital
The family is planning to convert a building in their yard into a wheelchair-accessible home, ‘so that way I can live as independently as possible with my loved ones,’ Julie told WBRC.
The young woman also told the outlet that she hopes her story might discourage others from driving drunk in the future.
‘Look at what you’ve done. You’re never going to undo your actions, but you can be better in the future,’ she said.
