A woman who lost her arm after an Atlanta police officer slammed into her car while headed to a call wants the city to pay for her medical bills including her amputation, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Lisa Akazaawie’s left arm was severed in the Feb. 21 crash involving Officer Dejoira Phillips, according to an Atlanta police incident report. An officer at the scene applied a tourniquet to stop the flow of blood.
Phillips was driving her patrol car west on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard when she approached a red light at the Peeples Street intersection, according to a Georgia State Patrol incident report.
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Akazaawie approached a green light at the same intersection in a 2013 Kia Soul. Her car was heading north on Peeples, according to the report.
“At the southeastern corner of the intersection, there is a building that obscures the view of westbound traffic on Ralph David Abernathy,” GSP officials said. “This building also obscures traffic moving northbound on Peeples Street.”
As a result, the officer failed to yield at the intersection and hit the Kia, the GSP said.
On Tuesday, Atlanta police told The AJC the crash was referred to their Office of Professional Standards for an investigation, which is standard procedure for officer-involved incidents. Phillips is still with the department and on active duty.
Since the crash Akazaawie, who is an artist, has been unable to work.
“I can’t even explain the amount of things that I cannot do anymore,” she told Channel 2.
In the meantime, A GoFundMe account has been created to help Akazaawie with the mounting medical costs.
“I’m hoping this will be resolved so I can get on with my life because I do plan on getting back to work,” Akazaawie said. “I’ve worked hard to get to where I’m at.”
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