Leilani Wigfall was in a hospital bed at University Medical Center fighting for her life just two months ago.
On May 2, Wigfall and her sister, Janiah Gant, 17, were walking to the store to buy some snacks when police say a speeding vehicle ran up onto a North Las Vegas sidewalk and struck the siblings.
Gant was killed. Wigfall, 19, was left with grievous injuries.
“All I can remember is looking down at my phone, texting my mom, waiting for a response,” Wigfall said. “I am chatting with Jania and when you look up, you see just the front of a car being in your face.”
“It happened so fast you couldn’t even open your mouth to scream,” Wigfall said. “That is how quick it happened.”
There were questions early on as to whether Wigfall would survive. She had a skull fracture and brain bleeds. Her jaw, elbow, knee caps and a forearm were broken. She was missing several teeth. One of her shoulders was torn up. An arm was completely raw from road rash.
After more than a month in a wheelchair and extensive rehabilitation, Leilani was up and about, slowly moving forward in a remarkable recovery from the physical injuries. Wigfall and her mother, Angela Anderson, said the emotional injuries of losing Janiah, however, will never be overcome.
“I miss my daughter,” Anderson said through tears. “I am thankful to still have her (Leilani) here. It’s always been the three of us. When I grocery shop now, I have to make sure I don’t grab Janiah’s stuff because it is not needed. Little things like that. Still adjusting.”
Reckless driving and DUI
North Las Vegas police said the driver of the vehicle that struck Wigfall and Gant is Triquan Hughes, 31. A Clark County grand jury indicted Hughes in June on charges of reckless driving, driving under the influence and other felonies.
The speed limit leading to the crash site near Craig and Simmons roads is 35 miles per hour, turning to 45 miles per hour near where the girls were hit. North Las Vegas police told the grand jury that data recovered from Hughes’ BMW shows in the seconds leading up to the crash Hughes’ car was traveling at a recorded speed of 112 miles per hour with his 10-year-old son in the front seat.
Police said as Hughes drove through the intersection at Craig he traveled through a red light, clipping a vehicle making a turn on a flashing yellow. Hughes’ vehicle catapulted onto the sidewalk, into the girls, a wall and a power pole.
Hughes and his son were not seriously injured. An officer who responded to the scene suspected Hughes was drunk but the amount of alcohol in his system was nowhere near the legal limit. However, police said blood tests show he was under the influence of marijuana, prompting the DUI charges.
Hughes was previously released on bond but remanded back to jail by a judge after he was accused of not complying with his release requirements. An attorney with the Clark County public defender’s office did not respond to a request for comment on this story. Hughes is now awaiting trial.
High school graduation
Wigfall and Anderson described Janiah as a beautiful girl with an even more beautiful future in front of her.
“Janiah, she was definitely a quiet person,” Wigfall said. “Very quiet, very reserved very observant. She could read a person before you even know their name. Very, very smart.”
They said Janiah was really good at math and video games.
“She could play a character with no skills and she would make them into a grand master,” Wigfall said. “Really good at baking. She loved sweets. Had a sweet tooth ever since she was a baby.”
Anderson said her daughters were scheduled to graduate from ThrivePoint Academy of Nevada on May 28. Janiah was going to graduate a year early when she was killed.
Wigfall was released from the hospital a day before her graduation. She attended the graduation in a wheelchair. The school awarded the family Janiah’s diploma and paid special tribute to her life.
“They had her seat, they decorated it with a cap and gown, and we received flowers as well,” Wigfall said. “We had a moment of silence for her as well. The whole audience respected us, and it was a very heartfelt moment. They showed brilliant pictures of her as well. They really honored her. Emotional, but I was happy about it.”
A long road ahead
Anderson now faces a mountain of medical bills, and Wigfall has more surgeries to go, including dental surgery. A GoFundMe has been set up for anyone willing to help. You can donate by clicking here.
Anderson also wanted to thank all of her daughter’s doctors along with Encompass Health, which led the way in Wigfall’s rehabilitation. When the mother and daughter recently returned to Encompass for a visit, her therapists were shocked by Wigfall’s remarkable recovery.
“They were just blown away,” Anderson said. “They were in tears. They didn’t even recognize her. They were surprised at how tall she is because she was always in a wheelchair. It was a nice moment to give thanks for taking great care of her.”
Anderson continued: “She is a speedy healer, and she is super strong. I used to joke with her when she was little. She used to struggle to hold a jug of milk when we brought the groceries in. I told her I would never make fun of her ever again. She is the strongest person I know.”
Wigfall and Anderson said they will spend the rest of their lives living in Janiah’s honor. Wigfall has big plans for college and perhaps a career as a tattoo artist. Wigfall said she loves doing art.
“Straight to college,” she said. “I didn’t want this whole thing to be an inconvenience on the rest of my life so I just want to heal and feel like myself again.”
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.
