By Casey Torres
Published: Jun. 19, 2024 at 9:58 PM MST
PEORIA, AZ (AZFamily) — A Grand Canyon University student is coming to terms with her new normal and counting her blessings after she survived a deadly crash in Peoria two months ago.
“I would say it’s a very near-death experience, as it was for everyone else in the car accident,” said Zalia Oliva.
For the past two months, the home for 18-year-old Oliva has been a hospital room.
Her walls are covered with prayer notes for her recovery from a car crash she survived.
“I prayed over everyone’s family in the car accident. I’ve prayed over all the kids first, and then I prayed over family, friends and everyone around them,” said Oliva.
In April, Peoria police said a driver ran a stop sign in a neighborhood before crashing into a cinder block wall and hitting a house.
“I don’t remember anything until the last week of the ICU, and I was in the ICU for about a month,” said Oliva.
Zalia is one of four people police said were seriously hurt inside the car.
No one in the house was hurt, but investigators two other passengers, 20-year-old Shane Johnson of Tempe, died at the scene and 19-year-old Aiden Ellis from Peoria died after being taken to a hospital.
Oliva said she was dating Johnson for a couple months. He was described as outgoing, sweet and hard-working.
Oliva learned Johnson did not survive a week ago.
“I think, sometimes I come to terms with it, but I think I’m also blurring that part out for now,” she said.
Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.
Investigators said, at last check, the driver was still hospitalized.
Although Oliva and her mother, Rozlyn Sturtevant, are grateful she is alive, her life was changed in a split second.
“I can’t walk. I’m paralyzed,” said Oliva. “I’m able to move my arms. (I have) some thumb movement. Not much. Just in my right one and my head.”
Zalia said her back, jaw, neck, ribs and other parts of her body were broken.
She spent several weeks in the ICU at the HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center in Phoenix while being hooked up to a ventilator.
When she was no longer intubated, she spent a couple weeks at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center--Select Specialty Hospital, learning how to breathe and eat again.
She is now at Barrow Neurological Institute, where she goes to physical therapy every day to regain as much strength in her upper body as possible.
“My main goal is to get back in the gym. That’s literally all I want,” she said.
Oliva loved going to the gym before the crash.
Pictures of her working out are now taped to her hospital room’s wall.
“It just showcases her resilience, her determination. I mean, she’s fierce,” said Sturtevant.
Sturtevant has been by her daughter’s side every day since she first got the call about the crash.
“The first week or two, we weren’t sure she was going to make it,” said Sturtevant. “It’s heartbreaking, and I’m incredibly and beyond grateful she is still here.”
Oliva, whose home is in California, was a freshman at GCU studying criminal justice so that she could join the Los Angeles Police Department SWAT.
She is now hoping she can still find a different way to serve and protect, a goal she won’t give up on.
“She is a fighter. She is determined and that comes from her,” said Sturtevant.
The road to recovery has been difficult, but Oliva and her mother said they have an outpouring of support from family and friends who have been visiting her, and her church in California and Arizona residents have continued their prayers for her recovery.
“That’s really been the thing that’s been carrying us together,” said Rozlyn. “The only thing that’s been helping is faith, our faith in God, our faith in Jesus. This is the ultimate test of surrender and leaning on your faith.”
Oliva expects to be released from the hospital in about two weeks and continue her treatments back at home.
Due to her mother not being able to work while she stayed with Zalia since the crash, they are raising money to cover medical costs.
If you would like to help with Oliva’s recover, you can click/tap here.
The families of other victims also have GoFundMe accounts.
This one is for Johnson’s family, while this GoFundMe is for one of the passengers.
Another victim is still recovering and a GoFUndMe has been set up for him.
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