Lauren Preciado is the latest cadet released from the hospital after being seriously injured by a driver who hit at least two dozen cadets while on a training run in November.
She is now home with her family after spending months in the hospital.
“I don’t remember anything. I don’t recall anything. I was told everything from my classmates," the 27-year-old said, saying she has had memory problems since the incident.
Preciado was unconscious for nearly a month, due to brain swelling and bleeding.
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“I was shocked when I saw my legs," Preciado said when she finally regained consciousness.
“I had an operation that could have left me paralyzed. I had both of femurs and tibia replaced with surgeries and skin grafts," Preciado told NBCLA and Telemundo 52.
Lauren also mentioned she has had difficulty with her eyesight and hearing. And although she recognizes the road to recovery is still long, Preciado says she still has hope.
“I give it my all every day, but it’s a long journey and I know I have a lot with my recovery," said Preciado.
Preciado said her father, a retired CHP sergeant, was her inspiration to be in law enforcement and joined the Explorer Program when she was 15, which caught her interest to pursue this career.
“I was pursuing the sheriff’s department because of their special units," she said.
Preciado had only been in the program for eight weeks before the tragic accident.
Two cadets still remain hospitalized in critical condition, Preciado said.
According to sheriff's officials, a Honda CRV swerved into a group of about 75 law enforcement cadets who were on a training run around 6:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning in the 10600 block of Mills Avenue, near Telegraph Road, just blocks from the sheriff's STARS Explorer Academy law enforcement training center.
Sheriff's officials said the group of recruits was running in columns northbound on the roadway when the southbound SUV swerved to the opposite side of the road and plowed into the trainees, leaving a trail of injured bodies. At the time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva compared the aftermath to a plane crash.
The SUV then slammed into a light pole, which was knocked to the ground. The vehicle was estimated to be traveling at about 30-40 mph at the time, authorities said.
The suspected driver, 22-year-old Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez of Diamond Bar, was released from jail days after the incident, according to the sheriff's department, which cited the extreme complexity of the investigation and the need to continue gathering evidence.
State law only allows authorities to hold a suspect in custody for 48 hours unless criminal charges are filed by prosecutors.
The priority for Preciado now is to be able to walk again.
“I'm just happy I could see my family and my friends again and spend time with them. Life is short," she said.
