11pm MADD President 03.17.2021

A TRAUMATIC BOATING ACCIDENT ALTERED THE LIFE OF A FAYETTE COUNTY WOMAN FOREVER.

A traumatic boating accident altered the life of a fayette county woman forever.

After years of surgery and rehabilitation...she has become one of the youngest presidents for a non-profit that helps trauma victims and hold drunk drivers accountable.

Abc's 36's danielle saitta spoke with the woman, who hasn't let her disability from the accident, hold her back from making a difference alex: "before the crash i don't know if i knew what drunk driving was i was a kid..but once you are a part of this club..you can never get out" 24-year-old alex otte is fighting for c1 3 trauma victims like her 13-year-old self.

In the summer of 2010--her life was changed forever--while vacationing on herrington lake with her family.

She was on a jetski when a drunk boater going 60 miles an hour headed towards her.

Alex: "he was heading towards my mom and my brother my mom screamed he banked it to the left and never straightened up" the driver hit otte from the side and threw her off her jetski...the boat then toppled ontop of her.

Otte was airlifted to uk hospital where she was treated for a brain injury, a shattered jaw, a broken neck, collarbone, and shattered femers, where she later needed her mid calf and foot aputated.

During her time in the hospital she had 8 emergency surgies.

Until 2019--she had two surgeries a year.

Otte says she paid a heavy price after that accident--a substantial amount more than the price that boater had to pay.....$250 dollars.

Alex: "which is the minimum first time dui offense in kentucky depsite the fact that it was his forth he did not spend any time in jail and he was given a slap on the wrist and let go to reoffend which he has done multiple times" otte's goal in life now is to change that narrative.

In january of this year..she became one of the youngest presidents of the non-profit...moms against drunk driving...an intetnational group that provides trauma victims and their families with services..and also calls on drivers charged with d-u-i..

To be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law every time.

Today alex has learned to live with her disability and embrace it as having a greater meaning than a grim tragedy.

Alex: "there is no medical reason that i survived and i'll spend the rest of my life trying to figure out what that reason