LARGO, Fla. — A woman is back home recovering after what loved ones said was a road rage crash in Largo.
Police said Jermeria Holycross was struck on U.S. Highway 19 North and East Bay Drive on Saturday afternoon. A man is now under arrest and charged with first-degree attempted murder.
"I just care that she's here. If the recovery takes three years, five years, I'm still here for her," her mother Tammy Holycross said.
Broken bones and lacerations are among her daughter's injuries. She can't walk and fears she may not have kids someday due to a broken pelvis.
Described as a jokester and someone who will turn a bad situation into a good one, Tammy Holycross said her daughter is adored for her loving personality.
"That's why I think it bothered us so much is because she's too sweet. She's humble. You know, she never portrays to be perfect," her mother said.
Jermeria Holycross was driving when she told police she noticed a Jeep driver tailgating her. She pulled over believing she had been rear-ended.
According to the arrest affidavit, the driver Boris Twillman "smiled at her" and then rapidly accelerated toward her, striking her with his Jeep. The affidavit goes on to state that Jermeria Holycross was pinned between her vehicle and Twillman's, forcing her to be dragged along the driver's side.
The affidavit goes on to state that Twillman had driven off.
Inside Jermeria's Holycross car was also her teenage brother and her boyfriend's two young children.
Misty Moore, the aunt of Jermeria Holycross, described the more than half-hour drive to the hospital as the longest drive of her life. Tammy Holycross was also with her at the time.
"I am focused on not killing us both as I maneuver this truck and get down to my niece," Moore said. "It was the longest 32 minutes of my life."
The timeline of Jermeria Holycross' recovery is uncertain, but her mother said she forgives Twillman. However, she said she wants him to be held accountable.
"I felt like if it wasn't her, it could have been anybody. It could have been you, could have been her, could have been me," she said.
Twillman is also charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury.
If you'd like to donate to the family's GoFundMe going toward medical expenses, visit this link.