Two Lodians recovering from severe injuries after February collision

March 20--When Lacey Bird, 22, and Jose Fuentes Jr., 16, decided to go out for a late night snack about a month ago, they had no idea that a simple trip to Jack in the Box would result in their lives being turned upside down.

While leaving the restaurant, the SUV the two siblings were riding in was struck by a van driven by a man identified by police as Jorge Caracosa, 38, of Lodi. According to Lodi Police officer Chris Delgado, Caracosa ran a red light as Bird attempted to turn left through the intersection of Hutchins Street and Lodi Avenue. The van was going between 80 and 90 miles an hour upon impact causing the SUV to overturn, Delgado said.

Caracosa allegedly fled the scene on foot, police said, but was later apprehended.

He now faces charges of felony DUI and felony hit and run and is currently being held in police custody on a $1 million bail, Delgado said. Caracosa was previously convicted for DUI in January of 2011, according to Zephanii Smith, director of communications at the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office.

Bird and Fuentes sustained serious injuries in the wreck and nearly lost their lives.

Bird sustained a concussion from the accident and suffers from excruciating pain in her neck, back, head and muscles along with bruising and scarring on her hips.

"She was unresponsive when they (EMTs) got there but then she woke up and she was in hysterics. Then she kept going in out of consciousness. The EMTs were very surprised they both lived," their mother, Teresa Bird Fuentes, said.

Bird has also lost a little bit of her memory and suffers from anxiety.

Following the crash, Fuentes was immediately rushed to Lodi Adventist Memorial Hospital, where he was resuscitated and given blood and platelets before being transported to San Joaquin County General Hospital. Fuentes did not sustain any head trauma. However, he did have a broken femur in his left leg that caused internal bleeding. He also broke his knee and had a steel rod inserted that extended from his knee into his hip to assist with the healing. His right ankle was shattered on both sides of his foot and his foot was broken in four places. His left hand suffered severe cuts that damaged all of his tendons.

One doctor who initially worked to stabilize Fuentes before he was transferred to Lodi Memorial was determined to see him live. The doctor even came to see him in the hospital on his free time and brought Fuentes books to read.

"He was worried about Jose. He wanted to see him face to face," Bird Fuentes said. "He couldn't even believe that Jose survived such a crash, and he said "all I remember is seeing this 16-year-old with all this facial hair, and I said he's got to live.' He went over and beyond to do what he had to do to get my son stable enough to go to the trauma center in San Joaquin General Hospital."

Now a month later, Bird and Fuentes are still trying to get their lives back on track while slowly healing from the emotional and physical wounds sustained in the wreck. According to their mother, they have a long road ahead but they are well on their way to recovery.

"Their injuries were life threatening in the beginning. As time went on, they got more stable," she said. "Progress is slow but it's moving on. Through all of the cries and the pain I'm just blessed that they're here and they are improving."

Fuentes is a honor roll student at Rio Valley Charter School and fortunately the accident hasn't set him back too much in school. He has a love for video games and due to the injuries on his hand, he is having a hard time using his PlayStation. According to his mother, Fuentes loves running with his pet rotweiler but is no longer able to do that because of the injuries he sustained to his legs.

Bird is an aspiring model and had plans to go to Los Angeles for a photo shoot, but the accident has altered those plans. She is also employed at the Parkwest Casino, but her injuries have kept her out of work, causing her to fall behind on her bills and become dependent on her parents.

"That's frustrating for me because she's always managed to keep everything going for herself and her credit. Now, after this, her credit will be shot, but I tell her, 'at least you got your life,'" her mother said.

Bird is slowly regaining her memory, but she continues to deal with anxiety.

Teresa continues to remain strong for her children and does what she can to keep them encouraged.

"I try to smile because if I don't I would probably be in my room crying my eyes out every day, so I have to be strong for them," she said. "When you're down, they're down. When you're positive, they stay positive, and when you're smiling they smile."

It's been hard for her to see her children suffer and be in so much pain. She said it's painful when she and her daughter are riding in the car, and she wants to go to certain store but she can't remember the name or how to get there, and they end up driving all around Lodi.

Teresa and her husband were already having a hard time financially but the accident has made matters worse. She hasn't been able to file an insurance claim because she hasn't gotten the police report back. In the meantime, the co-pays and medical bills just keep rolling in.

They were able to raise about $1,755 via GoFundMe but used a majority of those funds to replace Bird's car so they could travel to doctor appointments.

"I felt blessed that the community could come together and put that amount in there," Teresa said.

Teresa said she is not angry at the man police say is at fault.

"He almost took two children, my third-oldest and my baby," she said. "Life could've been over for them."

What hurt the family most, Teresa said, was the hit-and-run aspect of the crash.

"I know if I was in that situation and I chose to drink. I believe that my heart is good enough to where even though I made a mistake, I would've seen if those people were OK," Bird told her mother.

Teresa hopes he has learned his lesson and will never make a decision like this again.

"I forgive him," Teresa said. "I can't forget what he's done, but what kind of person would I be if I didn't forgive somebody?"

To donate to Bird and Fuentes' GoFundMe visit www.gofundme.com/laceynano.

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