Family of hit-and-run victim appeals for help

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The mother of a 27-year-old man who was hit by an alleged impaired driver last fall is appealing for help. Susan Buehler fears her insurance won't cover her son’s continuing treatment for a traumatic brain injury.

“We're nervous, rather scared that there's not funding for him to be in this type of place,” she told KXAN. “He'll progress but not nearly as well as he could.”

It's been just four and a half months since Brian Lindquist nearly died. And the healing will take a lot longer, tThe part of his brain that handles speech was severely damaged.

“He needs intensive speech. He needs intensive cognitive therapy,” Buehler said.

In the arrest affidavit from last fall, UT police said the driver who hit and dragged Lindquist for two blocks along Guadalupe Street on October 12th was impaired and kept going and told officers he didn't know what he hit. Lindquist had been cycling to work at 4:30 a.m, when a jeep struck him from behind. He suffered multiple skull fractures.

But because Lindquist is now walking again -- even tentative steps through the garden of his care center --his insurance requires him to move out of the local rehabilitation facility and into a post acute trauma center.

And moneys running short for Buehler too, who rushed from Pennsylvania after the accident and has been with her son ever since.

However, it’s not only the bank account balance dwindling, time is also limited. Susan has terminal pancreatic cancer. She is philosophical about the fate of the young man who hit Brian. She said she doesn't care about him serving jail time.

“I don't care about the jail sentence. He's done horrendous things. I just want him to take care of Brian for the rest of his life. Because I won't be able to,” she said, fighting back tears.

The 25-year-old man accused in the case is Truett Jones . He's due back in Travis County court March 25th. He's facing felony charges, including failure to stop and render aid and intoxication assault.