Teacher in ICU after fatal Cobb crash

Doctors say it will be a month before rehabilitation starts.

A pre-kindergarten teacher injured more than a week ago in a car crash in Powder Springs remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit of a Cobb County hospital, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Karlissa Darby, 22, of Dallas, lost her unborn son in the Aug. 15 in a crash that killed a couple in the other vehicle, Channel 2 reported. The couple, a husband and wife in their 80s, were at fault in the accident, officials said.

Darby, who was on her way to work, suffered broken ankles, wrists and a broken leg bone, Channel 2 reported. She also suffered a stroke and had severe head trauma.

The preliminary investigation indicated the couple’s Ford Crown Victoria was eastbound in the westbound lanes of Macland Road when it collided with Darby’s car, a Plymouth Voyager.

Darby’s mother, Chris West, came in from Texas to be with her daughter during what could be a long recovery.

“It’s going to be a long process, a long healing process,” she told Channel 2. “She’s going to need a lot of therapy.”

Doctors at WellStar Kennestone Hospital don’t know if Darby will be able to walk again, the station reported. It could be at least a month before she starts rehab. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with medical expenses.

Darby worked at the Sunshine House in Dallas, and is described as compassionate with a silly personality.

“Karlissa is a very caring person,” her mother said, “and she loved kids and she wanted this baby.”