Victim Recovering After Hit-And-Run Crash In Warr Acres

A Warr Acres woman knocked out of her shoes by an alleged drunk driver Tuesday is out of the ICU Sunday night. Her family says it's amazing she's even alive.

Sunday, August 24th 2014, 10:37 pm

By: News 9


A Warr Acres woman knocked out of her shoes by an alleged drunk driver Tuesday is out of the ICU Sunday night. Her family says it's amazing she's even alive.

Dana Johnson, 45, was walking home on N. MacArthur Blvd. when she was hit by a driver, who police say fled from the scene. That night, Johnson had for four surgeries just to reconstruct her face, but her recovery is far from over.

"My heart was breaking for her. I couldn't handle it," said Courtney Lawson, Johnson's daughter.

Lawson was devastated after learning her mother was hit and thrown over a car, and that the driver got out, saw Johnson, but then got away.

"That's when I started to break down," Lawson said. “It all got really serious when I saw all the caution tape and the police cars.”

Warr Acres Police say Johnson was crossing at NW 51st St. and MacArthur when the driver, James Mclaurin, 59, struck her. But officers caught up to Mclaurin near Northwest Expressway and arrested him for leaving the scene of an injury accident and possible DUI.

8/19/2014 Related Story: Crews Respond To Hit-And-Run Crash In Warr Acres

Meanwhile Johnson was rushed to the hospital with a slew of injuries, including: brain trauma, a broken shoulder, neck and ribs, bruised lungs, a tangled aorta and a sliced liver.

"Her face was unrecognizable, with all the blood and the scrapes, and her nose was pretty much gone from here up," Lawson said.

Before the hit-and-run, Johnson was living at The Gravity House for women recovering from various addictions. Johnson's roommate, Sharee Duke, said Johnson was walking back to the house from the Goodwill when she was hit.

"I got scared when I saw her shoes in the middle of the street, to know that she got hit that hard to be knocked out of her shoes," Duke said.

A miracle to be alive, Johnson's loved ones just want her to pull through for children and grandchildren.

"It was rough, and she was just getting on her feet and doing good. We were really proud of her,” Duke said.

“And for something like this to happen, we just know something good is going to come out of it for her."

Follow Dana's recovery or help the family with the mounting medical bills.

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