ANZA, Calif. — A North County mother of four is hospitalized after the driver of a pickup truck collided with the RV she was driving on July 15.
Michelle Plaketta said her four children and the family dog were inside the RV at the time of the collision in Anza on California Highway 371 at the intersection of Kirby Road.
Her 17-year-old daughter and the family dog were ejected from the RV when the vehicle broadsided the pickup truck and rolled over. Her daughter and the dog were napping in the bed over the cab when the crash happened.
The girl was treated for bruising and abrasions and then released from the hospital, Plaketta said.
“She has a broken toe and just really bad road rash from her shoulders all the way down past her waist,” Plaketta said.
The other three children in the RV suffered minor injuries. Plaketta said the driver of the pickup pulled out from a stop sign and attempted to turn left in front of the RV when the collision occurred.
She remains hospitalized in Palm Springs as she recovers from a broken leg.
“My right knee it was split open and I have injuries to my left eye. It was swollen shut,” she said.
The family’s dog of ten years, named Prince, was killed.
This is the second time the family has suffered the loss of a family pet.
In 2017, Plaketta’s dog was taken from her yard by a neighbor. The dog, named Lala, was never located. The neighbor, David Herbert, was also convicted of abusing two other dogs in the neighborhood by throwing acid on them.
In 2019, a San Diego County Superior Court judge sentenced Herbert to more than nine years in custody.
He was released early on parole due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My kids and I are just distraught. After losing Lala in such a horrible way, we were really clinging to Prince. All our love and attention went to him. Never in a million years would we have thought that we would have another tragedy like this,” the mother said. “It's just been a nightmare to say the least.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego's top stories for July 27, 2022
