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Woman who fell 7 stories from parking garage says she is lucky to be alive

The impact on the cable barrier was 9 mph. The crash itself reached 55 mph

AUSTIN, Texas — The surveillance video is dramatic, but words cannot fully describe the visions Christi Bowmer sees in her mind every day since her car plunged seven stories from the Littlefield Garage. It happened July 2017.

“The memories are just horrific,” Bowmer said.

Her car landed on its nose. She remained conscious and thought she was going to die.

“I knew I was bleeding out, so I asked a good Samaritan to call my husband,” Bowmer said. “I asked if I could call my husband to say goodbye.”

She recalled the words.

“I said, ‘I just want you to know I love you,’” Bowmer said.

Bowmer said she panicked when she noticed the wire at the edge of the parking spot.

She hit the gas instead of the brake. The impact on the cable barrier was 9 mph. The crash itself reached 55 mph.

She scalped her head and broke her back, leg and sternum. She still takes pills, prescribed by her doctor, to manage ongoing pain.

Bowmer and her attorneys at Howry, Breen and Herman said the garage cables were not properly maintained.

A wreck like this happened a few months prior. In September 2016, a Toyota dangled nine stories. The driver escaped through the back.

“The garage had not done anything to fix it,” said attorney Randy Howry.

They filed a lawsuit against the owner, developer and management of the garage.

“We can also make a difference for others who use this parking garage. That’s why we took on this case,” Howry said.

They did. The garage owners upgraded the barrier system. Bowmer settled days before going to court.

Confidentiality agreement prevent anyone else knowing how much the two sides agreed upon, but Howery said “significant” and “enough to take care of her for the rest of her life.”

We reached out to the attorney for Littlefield Garage owner and developer.  He did not respond.

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