SANFORD, Fla. – A Sanford restaurant owner and mother of 16 is back home after surviving a crash that nearly took her life during Bike Week.
Investigators said a drunk driver hit Shantell Williams moments after she left a gas station in Daytona Beach in March.
Now, after months of recovery, surgeries and rehab, Williams has returned to the restaurant her community never stopped supporting.
“This is what I’ve been working for. It feels beyond good. I’m so blessed,” Williams said.
Video shows Williams leaving Encompass Health in Altamonte Springs on Saturday to a standing ovation from family, friends and staff.
The crash happened March 4 near South Keech Street and West International Speedway Boulevard, according to Daytona Beach police.
Williams said she had just put on her helmet and left a gas station on her Harley-Davidson motorcycle near Martin Luther King Boulevard.
“Less than a minute later, I was lying 20 feet away from the impact,” Williams said.
Police said 30-year-old Lanieja Sturgis hit Williams. Investigators said Sturgis failed a field sobriety test, and officers reported smelling alcohol on her breath before taking her into custody.
Sturgis faces three DUI-related charges and is expected back in court next month.
“She could have done better, and she chose not to,” Williams said. “I’m going to make sure I show up in court. For the hurt, for the pain — she needs to receive medicine.”
Williams said the crash left her with a shattered pelvis, a broken breastbone and fractures in both arms. She is still recovering as she returns to the restaurant her community knows and loves.