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Washington teen suffers severe brain injury after she’s flung out of car sunroof during parking lot stunt
Elexis Robinson, 17, suffered a severe traumatic brain injury after being thrown from a car while standing through its sunroof during a parking-lot stunt in Vancouver, Washington. The accident has left her with serious memory and orientation problems, and doctors say it is too early to know how fully she will recover.
The crash happened on 3 November, when the driver made a sharp turn in a shopping centre car park. Robinson fractured her skull and suffered three brain bleeds; she now spends much of the day asleep and is expected to need extensive rehabilitation. Her mother said doctors may need six months to a year before they can assess her long-term condition, and urged that the other teenager involved be held accountable without having her life ruined.
In short
- A 17-year-old was thrown from a car sunroof during a parking-lot stunt.
- She suffered a skull fracture and three brain bleeds.
- Doctors may need up to a year to assess her long-term recovery.
Explained simply
A traumatic brain injury is damage to the brain caused by a blow or jolt to the head. Its effects can range from temporary confusion to lasting problems with memory, movement or awareness, and recovery varies from person to person.
Elexis Robinson is a 17-year-old from Vancouver, Washington, in the United States. Her mother has described the impact of the injury and the uncertainty around recovery; another teenager was driving the car.
The case also raises questions about the risks of riding partly outside a moving vehicle and how young people should be held responsible when a dangerous stunt causes serious harm. Rehabilitation can take time, and doctors may need months to understand the lasting effects of a brain injury.