EXCLUSIVE: Oakland crash survivor speaks out after being hit by car driven by children
"I feel blessed to be here and to still be able to walk," Kiara Bowling said.
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Nearly three months after she was critically injured after a vehicle driven by two young children struck her from behind, Bay Area resident Kiara Bowling is sharing her story of survival and recovery.
Bowling, 32, returned to the site of the crash, where she said she nearly lost her life while walking her best friend's dog.
"I feel blessed to be here and to still be able to walk," Bowling said.
The crash occurred when two brothers, ages 7 and 4, took their parents' car keys and drove away in a vehicle. Bowling was struck from behind and found on the pavement with life-threatening injuries.
She suffered a traumatic brain injury and has spent months recovering. Bowling said she had to relearn how to walk, talk and eat on her own.
"It feels good to be able to walk again," Bowling said.
Standing at the crash site, she reflected on surviving.
"It feels good that I survived this, because this looks like a situation where an incident happened that was very traumatic and probably didn't have any survivors," she said.
EXCLUSIVE: Oakland woman relearns to walk and speak after near-fatal crash involving kid drivers
Bowling said she doesn't have any memory of what happened that day.
"I don't have any recollection of this area, when it happened," she said. "I really don't have recollection until, the middle of September. In hospital my doctors had to let me know what happened."
During the interview, several people who witnessed the crash and helped her that morning unexpectedly stopped by to see her.
"There was already somebody giving her CPR and so I was just talking to her," said Rita Macina, one of the good Samaritans who responded. "I told her you are going to be okay and then a tear came out. I think sometimes people forget that they need to hear people and everybody is trying to do things and I said she can hear us."
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Another good Samaritan, Kevin Jones, recalled praying for Bowling.
"It's good that you are alright," Jones said. "I was talking to you to you for a minute and I was just praying for you."
Bowling also reconnected by FaceTime with Lavelle Shah-Marquis. One of the people in the area who helped her after the crash. Shah-Marques was visiting Oakland from Seattle.
"Hello! Oh my God. It's a blessing to see your face," Shah-Marquis told Bowling.
"Thank you. And God bless you and your family," Bowling replied.
Shah-Marquis shared details from the crash that helped Bowling piece together what happened.
"You didn't have enough time to even get out the way," he said. "The car came so fast behind you and hit you and the dog. You went flying and. You landed right where you were and that was pretty much it. Then you went unconscious."
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"Thank you for telling me that," Bowling responded. "Because of my brain injuries, I have no recollection of that. But me and the dog are recovering."
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A poster with photos of Bowling remains near the intersection, serving as a reminder of the community support she has received.
"I'm grateful for the people that say that they're praying," Bowling said. "That's always good to hear. And some of the names are familiar, but there are a lot of them that I don't know."
As she stood reading messages left for her, several residents stopped to offer hugs and words of encouragement.
"I walk past here because I live down the street. I would always think of you," Oakland resident Leslie Juarez told Bowling. "And I'm just so glad that you're okay. Truly. You are so amazing and it's so crazy how strong you are."
"It's a blessing to still be here after my traumatic injury," Bowling replied. "Thank you for the prayers too, God bless you both."
RELATED: 7 and 4-year-old brothers take parents' car, critically injure woman walking dog in Oakland crash
Another resident, Victoria, also stopped and embraced Bowling.
"Can I give you a hug? I'm so sorry. It's such a blessing to see you out there," she said.
"It's a blessing to see you too. It's a blessing to be here. Thank you for your kindness," Bowling responded.
Bowling, a college student who hopes to attend law school and who previously worked as a teacher assistant, said she does not harbor anger toward the children involved in the crash.
Asked whether she forgives them, Bowling responded: "Yes, I do forgive them."
On her GoFundMe, Bowling has received support from more than 2,000 people as she continues her recovery.
"To those who have donated I thank you all for your kindness and support. It's not easy to recover from a traumatic brain injury. Ive always been a positive person and this is newly normal for me," Bowling said.
Doctors expect Bowling's recovery to take two years. Every step she takes is a new victory and a reminder that miracles happen and angels are among us.
"I'm very happy that I'm still here. That is the biggest blessing, to still be here," Bowling said while her family embraced her at the intersection where she nearly lost her life.
