Man left paralyzed from Maplewood hit-and-run crash, no arrests made
Family members say Tou Yang was left paralyzed from the waist down following a hit-and-run crash in Maplewood in November. (Yang Family)
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (FOX 9) - Family say the 20-year-old man who was injured in a hit-and-run in Maplewood this past November is permanently paralyzed from his injuries.
Toua Yang, 20, was walking home around 11:30 p.m. on November 23 when he was hit by a car while crossing the street. Police say the driver fled the scene and has yet to be arrested.
Yang was in a coma for more than a month, and suffered injuries that included a broken back, punctured lungs, and road rash so severe that on some parts of his body the skin was burned off down to the bone.
The Yang family is now facing a mountain of bills, as they have to retrofit their home to be wheelchair accessible. In addition to medical bills, they estimate it will cost them $300,000.
“It’s a really scary time I’m sure to try and figure out how they’re going to make this so he can come home,” said family friend Stacey Walsh. “They need help with their expenses, costs, and building their house for Tuoah to come home.”
Walsh was driving home from work on November 23 when she saw Yang’s body in the street and stopped to help. She has since built a relationship with the Yang family.
The family is hoping to raise money to relieve the financial burden, setting up a GoFundMe.
Maplewood Police say they have located a vehicle they believe to be the one involved in the crash. Investigators are currently awaiting test results on the car from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.