PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Port Charlotte High School sophomore Angellique Nichols woke up in a hospital bed after getting hit by a car early Tuesday morning.
"She has a fractured pelvis and a fractured wrist," said Angellique's Aunt Penny Nichols.
Angellique's Uncle Joshua Schmidt told FOX 4's Victoria Scott she was riding her bike without a helmet to school when she got struck by a car.
You can watch Victoria's full report here:
"We got woken up by the police officers at the door letting us know she was being airlifted to the hospital," Schmidt said.
He told Scott he went into complete panic mode.
''Oh my God, is she gone? Is she going to be with us? Is she going to be OK?"
However, Penny said her niece is already making progress on her road to recovery.
"By the time we left the hospital, she was able to get up, and walk with a walker," Penny told Scott.
She also said her Angellique's accident taught her a lesson.
"That near-death experience has really opened [Angellique's] eyes to how awesome life really is," Penny said. "Teenagers think they're too cool. We really need to get the message out there to the community that it doesn't matter how old you are; you need a helmet."
Some of Angelique's other family members had some advice to share with the public too.
"We look both ways," said Evelynn Nichols. "I'm really mad that the car hit my big sister."
"Cars should look both ways twice so they don't hit other people," said Melody Schmidt. "I wear my helmet every day when I ride my bike so I can be safe and I don't run into people."
Scott asked Charlotte County Sheriff's Office officials if they will do anything differently following Angellique's accident.
She's still waiting to hear back from them.
