Family frustrated with no charges for driver who hit two 22-year-olds in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Two 22-year-old women continue to recover after they say they were hit by a driver along Water Street.
Samantha Zganjar and Chloe Handrich were hit in that crash in late July. Both were left with severe injuries and had multiple surgeries.
"This is not something a 22-year-old should be doing, laying in a bed and being wheelchair bound now," said Karen Handrich, Chloe Handrich's mom.
Both families say their fight for justice isn't over.
"I consider that to be an accident, not to be a reckless driving incident," said Milwaukee's Mayor Cavalier Johnson when asked about the incident.
The driver remains only cited, not charged, something the family says is unacceptable. Both Chloe and Samantha's family calling Mayor Johnson's words disappointing and frustrating.
"I don’t know what else can warrant being a reckless driver," said Karen Handrich. "This is clearly something more than just they get a citation. My child suffers and lies here in pain and in agony and her future has changed drastically."
Just graduating from UW-Lacrosse, Chloe Handrich was out celebrating with her friend Samantha Zganjar. When they were crossing Water at State Street, they say a driver crashed through a barricade and hit them.
"It was terrifying," said Karen Handrich.
Handrich says her daughter was in the ICU for a week suffering from several injuries, including a shattered pelvis, tibia and head contusion, among other injuries.
"She's the strongest person we know," said Karen Handrich. "Watching her go through this, she's a fighter and she's determined to get better."
Chloe was just released from the hospital Tuesday, but her mom says they had to install ramps at their home because she'll be in a wheelchair for months.
"She's unfortunately still in a hospital bed here at home, so she has a long road of recovery," said Karen Handrich. "This isn’t over by any means."
Feeling helpless as they watch both Chloe and Samantha go from doctor appointment to doctor appointment, with no one being held accountable.
"There's nothing we could do," said Steve Handrich, Chloe's dad. "We couldn’t even hug her for a week, because she was so banged up and sore. It was a nightmare to watch her go through that."
Both families say they will continue to push for charges, so the driver is held accountable. They also want to see extra security measures on Water Street, like permanent concrete barriers to protect pedestrians.