Let's Support Lacey! Innocent bystander loses hand

We have all heard the phrase, at the wrong place at the wrong time. This phrase will forever hold a haunting truth for my cousin, Lacey Fredrick, as she really was at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and the result has already and will forever impact the rest of her life.

Tuesday, June 27, was another day in the week for Lacey. Like any typical Tuesday, she left for work at Whitacre Logistics in Toledo, OH, where manages office and transportation details. Part of her daily routine is to purchase and stock office supplies, requiring her to drive to and from the store. On her way there, Lacey sat in her car enjoying the warm summer morning with her windows down and left arm out the driver’s side, waiting for the light to change. As the light changes to green and Lacey begins crossing the intersection, she is hit out of nowhere, T-boned on the driver’s side and is sent rolling down the road in a fiery crash.

At that moment, Lacey’s life was changed forever by the choices of a stranger.

The person who hit Lacey was leading a police chase in a van they chose to steal and had made the conscious decision to ignore a red traffic light in hopes of getting away. He sustained no injuries from the crash he caused.

By no choice or fault of her own, Lacey was trapped then extricated from her vehicle and suffered severe blunt force trauma and an arterial bleed, which resulted in an emergency amputation of her lower left arm and hand.

We are devastated.

Lacey is truly one of the most loyal, hard-working and determined people I know. Lacey’s loyalty to her family, friends, and to the LGBTQ community is steadfast; she is the kind of person that shows up, no matter what. Like many of us, her path has not been the easiest, but she has always, ALWAYS, shown perseverance in the face of life’s challenges. With an able body, strength and determination, Lacey has worked hard towards her goals and was saving toward a down payment to purchase her first home. Now, due to that fateful Tuesday morning, she has an immense new challenge to overcome.

Lacey has a long road ahead of her with an unknown number of additional surgeries, an upcoming skin graft, and more. We cannot fathom the accruing and final medical expenses that will burden Lacey as a result of this accident. We are setting up this GoFundMe in hopes to raise money to help Lacey with her expenses once she gets out of the hospital; please consider donating if you are compelled or able to do so. Lacey has always been there for us, let’s together be there for her.

If you would like to view additional coverage on the story, please see the USA Today article or these segments from our local news stations, WTOL and 13abc.