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Woman Hit By a Rock While Trying to Cross the Street

Updated: Friday, February 8 2013, 02:02 AM EST
COLUMBUS-  A minutes long wait to cross a downtown Columbus street turned into a days long hospital stay for a Central Ohio woman. 

Elizabeth Salini and her husband, Alex, of Columbus, were waiting to cross at the southeast corner of East Mound and High Streets, when she was slammed in the head by a brick that was kicked up from the street by a passing COTA bus.

It happened Monday, February 4th, as the couple waited near the Franklin County Courthouse.

Salini says it's a miracle she's still alive. "I remember a bus going by, then I remember an explosion."  That blast was a brick, about the size of an orange, slamming into her forehead.

"All I kept saying was help me sweet Jesus.  Help me.  I could hear everything going on around me, but I couldn't see.  There was so much blood."

Seconds before her husband, Alex, had asked for a kiss. Her answer may have saved her life. "I said no, the numbers are getting ready to change. Hold onto that thought until we get across the street. If I would of turned and given a kiss, it would've killed me.  The brick would've hit the side of my temple no doubt."

Salini spent two and a half days in the hospital with a fractured skull and eye socket.

Doctors won't know the extent of the rest of the injuries until the swelling goes down.

The Salinis are now talking to a lawyer.  ABC6 checked the crosswalk where Salini was injured.

We found a hole that had been recently patched near that southeast corner, and another hole just across the street near the sidewalk. 

Rick Tilton with Columbus' city services division says they are going to take a look at their repair records, do a complete investigation, and get back to us on what they find.

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Reporter: Terri Sullivan
Web Producer: Kellie Hanna
Woman Hit By a Rock While Trying to Cross the Street