CHARDON, Ohio — A young woman has had an amazing recovery after she was seriously hurt in a deadly wrong-way crash.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
The college student thought she would die too in a crash connected to a Parma police pursuit last summer.
Less than five months later, Esenje Goodman is up and walking.
News 5 Investigators have stayed in touch with Esenje since our first meeting in the hospital.
Her jaw was broken along with both her ankles.
She went from being immobile in a hospital bed to using a walker, and it hasn’t even been five months.
“Yeah, mainly I’m just trying to see if I can get back into rugby,” Goodman said.
Her mother, Temeka Houston, texted the exciting news on Dec. 18 when Esenje stood for the first time since the horrific crash.
“It was pretty cool I didn’t expect it at all to be able to stand that day,” Esenje said.
Last Aug. 26, a trip to the store turned into a harrowing rescue by Good Samaritans.
“I never looked down at my legs which I think was good because I couldn’t feel it I couldn’t feel anything,” Goodman said.
Esenje was hit head-on by a car going the wrong way on SR 176.
Records show a Parma police officer was chasing that car onto the highway after seeing that car get hit on Brookpark Road and didn’t stop.
Two brothers did not survive the head-on crash.
Parma police determined the officer was in accordance with their chase protocol when he started the chase and stopped it less than two minutes in.
“As fast as he was going in the little time that I saw them I feel like it just wasn’t worth it just get the plates go to their house get them later or something,” Goodman said.
Esenje said in general, police departments should train more on pursuit tactics.
“I’m just worried they don’t see or they don't have a line so far we just need to stop,” Goodman said.
“My daughter, her life has been affected forever. She doesn’t realize it, but it’s been affected forever, and it’s just not worth it,” Temeka Houston said.
Houston has developed a unique bond with the mother of the two men who died. They now work together.
"I’ve grown close to the mom, and to see her hurt like that, it’s terrible,” Houston said.
Houston says she’s grown to love her daughter even more as she watches her fight to get stronger.
“She had a huge smile on her face it was almost like when she was a baby again taking her first step,” Houston said.
Her perspective on life has also changed.
“It’s made me appreciate life more, appreciate the memories, the moments, you know, kind of live in the moment,” Houston said.
News 5 asked Esenje what the worst part of recovery has been.
“I feel like I have the same answer every time, my dog. I miss that dog so much,” Goodman said.
Her dog, Cece, had been along for the ride and didn’t survive the crash.
"She was the love of my life. I think about her pretty often,” Goodman said.
Esenje also hates that her family has had to see her in so much pain.
We saw something we didn’t get to see in the hospital: her smile.
“Yeah cause even though this was pretty crappy I think I”m pretty happy I have a great family great friends and I’m going to still get to go to school I’m still alive,” Goodman said.
She starts physical therapy next week. For now, she’s taking online classes at Tri-C.
But hopes to get back to her studies at Baldwin Wallace.
