SAN DIEGO — A recent scooter accident left a woman clinging to life at UC San Diego Medical Center, according to her husband. He says it all started off as a smooth ride but it took a turn.
"[She is the] most loving, kindest, accepting, happiest individual that I've ever got the chance to be around and live with, said Dean Riggott.
Riggott knows that life with his wife Karen will never be the same. On Aug. 3, the Chula Vista mother of two's world changed forever.
Her husband says they were in Liberty Station waiting for a store to open when they rented a Bird scooter. He said they had never tried one and always wanted to. Riggott said he rode for a few minutes in a flat parking lot and then Karen took a turn.
"I was watching her and I saw her hand come off and in a split second the scooter buckled to the left and whipped her, threw her to the ground,” Riggott said.
He says Karen's head hit the ground hard so he ran over to help her.
"By the time I got up there you could see the blood started to come through her hair and [the] back of her head had a puddle behind it, Riggott said. “[Her] mouth was full of blood.”
Nearly three weeks later Karen remains at UCSD Medical Center fighting for her life.
"We're trying to get her to the point where we can wake her up and then we'll see what life changes and challenges this storm has left behind,” Riggott said.
The week Karen crashed there were three other traumatic scooter accidents including one in Banker’s Hill that left 34-year-old J.C. Sierra badly injured.
Doctors at UCSD told Dean they see about a dozen serious scooter injuries every month.
"They're not safe in their current incarnation,” said Riggott. “That doesn't mean they can't be made safer, but while they're figuring that out, we shouldn't be test dummies. My wife shouldn't be up there fighting for her life.”
Riggott said he has written to city leaders hoping they'll pull the scooters off San Diego streets. So far, a few council members have contacted him offering support but the scooters remain so he's sharing his story with as many people as he can hoping they will resist the temptation to try one.
"To me, one death is one too many.”