A Washington teen was standing through a sunroof when the driver made a sharp turn, and now she struggles to remember her own name

A 17-year-old Washington girl is facing a long recovery after she was thrown from a moving car while standing through its sunroof in a Vancouver parking lot. Elexis Robinson was tossed onto the pavement when the teenage driver made a sharp turn, and she landed directly on her head, as reported by KGW.

Her mother, Tricha Linares, said on a GoFundMe page that Robinson suffered a skull fracture, three brain bleeds, and a severe traumatic brain injury. One bleed was on the right side of her brain and two were on the left. Robinson now struggles to remember basic details, including her own name.

Linares said her daughter sleeps through much of the day and is often disoriented, emotional, and confused when she is awake. “As a mother, there are simply no words to describe the fear, heartbreak, and helplessness of watching your child endure something so devastating,” Linares wrote. “In a matter of moments, our entire world was turned upside down.”

Her family is still waiting on answers

Doctors said it could take six months to a year before they have a clearer picture of Robinson’s long-term prognosis. “We’re kind of left in the dark of what’s going to happen,” Linares said. Robinson is a high school senior who is two credits away from graduating, and she now faces extensive rehabilitation.

“Elexis is so much more than this tragedy. She is an incredibly intelligent, beautiful, and kindhearted young woman who has worked so hard throughout high school and is on track to graduate with honors,” Linares wrote. “She has an entire future ahead of her, dreams waiting to be fulfilled, and so much life left to live.”

Drone footage of the parking lot shows skid marks across the pavement where the risky vehicle stunt went wrong. Linares said the driver, who is also 17, made a choice that contributed to the accident, but she does not want to see another teenager’s life ruined. “This girl also made a mistake, too. This is her choice, just as much as it was my daughter’s choice to make a mistake,” Linares said. “I want her to learn the consequences of this, but she is a 17-year-old girl as well, and to have her life completely ruined and destroyed, I don’t need two lives like that. I don’t.”

The Vancouver Police Department’s Traffic Unit is still investigating Robinson’s case and has not released additional information, including any potential charges.