According to the Gridley Herald, Heather Jackson, 19, was seriously injured in a vehicle roll-over accident on September 12, 2009. The van she was driving left the roadway and rolled several times. Jackson worked for Cathy’s Christian Cottage in Richvale and was transporting one of the residents to a wedding in Chico. According to the CHP, the accident occurred at 1:50 p.m. The resident received broken ribs, but Jackson was trapped in the van.
The injuries received from the accident have caused paralysis from the chest down, with limited movement in her arms and hands. She is currently at a spinal cord injury rehabilitation center in San Jose where her therapists think that they can improve the movement in her arms and hands. According to her family, her spinal cord was not severed but when her neck was broken, it stretched it severely causing doctors to speculate she will not walk again.
Jackson is a well known athlete in Biggs, CA where she was the pitcher for the Butte College softball team. This was following a very successful softball career as a Biggs Wolverine. She received Honorable Mention for Butte College at the Golden Valley Conference for pitching in 2008.
